


Drabble pile

by Anchestor



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Angst, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Grillster, Tags May Change, Veteran Gaster, Veteran Grillby, baby bones, underfell grillster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-02-10 23:55:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 26,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12922884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anchestor/pseuds/Anchestor
Summary: Collection of drabbles, more specific info of each one in the chapter notes! Themes may or may not include Grillster, baby bones, and Dadster.





	1. Grillby meets a water elemental

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by: dorki-dorki-universe  
> "I've always wondered what would happen if grillby met a water elemental, but could never really think of any good ideas for that myself. Maybe you could take a crack at it? I'm curious to see what you come up with ^w^ "
> 
>  
> 
> So I have this headcanon that elementals summoned for the war didn’t have proper names, but they had these serial number-esque titles based on type and time of summoning. Like fire elemental summoned in winter -> Winterflame. But elementals in relatively high positions, like, the body guards of the king, would be given names, mostly to avoid confusion because they need to be kept proper track of.

When Grillby first spotted her, he thought she was a particularly solid ghost. See-through, with the campfire reflecting from her skin, in the dark of the night she looked ethereal. But as she stepped into the ring of light he noticed her clothes.

“Hello!” she greeted. “I heard there was another elemental in the camp, and I just had to come see for myself! I hope I’m not disturbing?”

“Not at all”, Grillby answered with a tentative smile. He felt a little nervous. It was always interesting to meet another elemental. But he had never even seen one made out of water before. “Please, sit.”

She plopped down on the ground, a little too close to comfort.

She was beautiful, Grillby thought. Her body was completely see-through. Her water was constantly streaming, shifting, flowing through her limbs. But despite the constant movement inside her, her shape didn’t change.

“Summerwater”, she introduced herself, and offered her hand for Grillby to shake. He had halfway extended his own, then he quickly pulled away.

“O-oh! Um, right. Probably not a good idea for you”, she said with an awkward giggle. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m Grillby.”

Summerwater whistled.

“Woah. You’re important enough for them to _name_ you?! Nice!”

“Well, not really.” Grillby rubbed his neck, while discreetly scooting a bit further away. “To everyone official it’s still Winterflame. But I have this, uh, friend. Gaster. He’s pretty- _opinionated_ about some things. He really didn’t like that we don’t have proper names, and, well. Grillby is more of a nickname. Only a few people call me that.”

Summerwater pondered that for a bit.

“Do you want me to call you that?”

“If it’s all the same to you.”

“Okay then. Grillby.” She smiled bright.

 

Summerwater stayed for most of the evening. She was friendly enough, Grillby thought. Cheerful. Bubbly. Talkative, _very_ talkative. A good chunk of the conversation was her prattling on while Grillby listened.

Though Grillby couldn’t quite shake his nervousness whenever she got too close. Somehow he stayed very aware about how easy it would be for her to absentmindedly put her hand on his shoulder, or lean against him, or simply for their hands to brush together. Very aware how much any of those would _hurt_.

And when Summerwater finally left for her own tent, Grillby was exhausted. If it was from the social interaction, or hovering by the edge of danger for all that time, he wasn’t sure.

He wondered if this was how the normal monsters felt around him. Not that he’d let his fire hurt them, but. He had seen monster burn themselves, swearing and hissing from the pain. Had to be difficult to think about a fire that didn’t hurt if you didn’t have fire magic yourself.

 

Summerwater’s unit was only passing through their camp, scheduled to leave in a few days time once the generals got their plans planned. She and Grillby had talked about sparring. Grillby had been reluctant, but she had pointed out that mages with water spells and ice powers existed, and he could stand to practice dodging. So Grillby yielded, and they agreed to spar in the evening.

The humans attacked at dawn.

Somewhere during the fight, Grillby saw Summerwater. Her body wasn’t clear and clean like it had been the previous night, it had picked up dust and grime, it all swirling inside her. Her water looked rusty from the blood, her screams like a raging rapid as she attacked.

There was a mage in the fight.

Grillby sometimes wondered if he had done anything differently had he know that the first time he met Summerwater would be the last time.


	2. Grillby bonds with baby Sans

“gll-ah!” Sans gurgled from the play rug.

“Hmm-mm”, Grillby answered, flipping the page of his book.

Papyrus might have gotten an ear infection, and while Gaster was getting reasonable confident when it came to the health of the boys, he wanted to have Papyrus looked at by an actual paediatrician. That left Grillby to babysit Sans.

Which, by all means, had so far been a rather relaxing task. Sans was a pretty chill baby. Gaster had fed him and put him to bed before leaving, and all that Grillby had needed to do was pick Sans up from the crib after his nap, and put some toys for Sans to play with somewhere where the baby could reach them.

Which had proven to be unnecessary: Sans had been more than entertained by a valiant yet futile effort to eat his own toes. All in all, Grillby was left wiht plenty of time to read his book.

“gah!” Sans exclaimed.

“Well aren’t you being talkative”, Grillby commented absentmindedly.

“ga-ah!” Sans was kicking his legs to the air now –rather intently, now that Grillby was paying attention. A flail to the side, and Sans had rolled over.

Oh, right. That was a thing he could do now. Gaster had gushed about it for what felt like hours.

And now Sans was lying on his tummy, eye sockets fixed on Grillby. The baby began a slow but determined crawl toward the couch.

“ghaa!” Sans had reached his destination, Grillby’s legs.

“Good job, buddy”, Grillby congratulated, leaning forward for a better look at the baby on the floor. Sans cooed and rolled on his back. He made grabby hands towards Grillby, accompanied by demanding babbling.

“Alright, alright. Up you go.” Grillby picked the Sans up from the floor and held him up, at eye level.

Sans fixed him a serious stare.

“Hi”, Grillby said.

Sans raised his tiny hand and have Grillby a weak smack.

Grillby held the baby a little further away.

“Did you seriously crawl all the way here and make me pick you up just so you could slap me?”

Sans giggled. “ababa”, he said, digging his hands to Grillby’s cheeks, feeling it up.

“Yep. That’s my face alright”, Grillby deadpanned. “Must feel pretty different than your fathers, eh?”

“da! da!”

Grillby mentally reeled.

“No no no, you stop that right now! Gaster will _murder_ me if you call _me_ anything that can be interpreted as ‘dad’, even by accident!”

“da!”

“No. _Gaster_ is ‘da’. I’m Grillby. _Grill-by_.” He made sure to annunciate his name as clearly as possible.

“gjii!”

“Much better.”

Grillby took a better hold of the baby, and lied down on the couch, Sans propped on his chest.

“gjii! gjii!”

“ _Grrrill-by_. Try to roll the R”, Grillby instructed.

“gjii!”

“Eh. You’ll get there eventually. As long as you don’t call me anything paternal.” That honour belonged to Gaster, and Gaster alone.

“pa!”

“ _Grillby_.”

“gjii.”

Grillby had seen Gaster do this a lot -lay on his back with one of the babies lying on his chest- and he was beginning to see why. It was a very relaxed position, and the weight of the baby felt…

Nice. Comforting. Just the soft, shallow breathing against him.

Sans yawned, and propped his head on Grillby’s chest.

“Ready for another nap? Lazybones.” Sans just snivelled.

Grillby breathed deeply. He closed his eyes. A nap sounded pretty nice, actually.

“You think your dad would upgrade me to stepfather if I asked nicely?” he asked, his voice quiet.

“duh”, Sans answered.

And with that, they both drifted off to sleep.


	3. Gaster and Grillby discuss why babies always try to eat everything

The egg timer broke on the floor with a CRASH!

“Oh, crud. They don’t make them like they used to”, Gaster grumbled. He had bumped into the kitchen table, and knocked the timer off.

“You alright?” Grillby asked.

“I’m fine. Not the first time I’ve knocked a hip.” Gaster squatted down to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one with a keen interest to the shrapnel.

“NYEH!” Papyrus had begun an intent crawl towards the broken remains, and had already grabbed a brightly coloured piece of plastic when Gaster intervened.

“Sorry, sweetie, but that’s a choking hazard”, he said as he picked up the baby and wrung the piece from the little hands, despite Papyrus’s vocal complaints.

“Could you bring him in the living room while I clean up?” And Grillby found himself with an armful of rather peeved baby.

Grillby left Gaster in the kitchen, and placed Papyrus to lie on the play rug. He grabbed a rattle as he sat on the floor.

“C’mon, wouldn’t you rather play with this than those sharp scraps? It even makes noise!” Grillby shook the raddle, and Papyrus was immediately drawn to the sound.

“NEYH!” he demanded, and Grillby handed the raddle away. The baby took hold of the toy clumsily, but managed to shake it anyway. He giggled.

“That’s better”, Grillby said. He reached to tickle Papyrus’s chin, wasn’t that what you did with babies?

A little hand grabbed Grillby’s finger with a surprising quickness. Papyrus held the captured digit in front of his face with a serious expression, staring intently at the fiery finger before him. For Grillby felt like the baby was trying to figure him out. What _was_ this? Where did it _come from_? How did it _work_?

Then Papyrus tried to put the finger in his mouth.

“Okay, no.” Grillby said as he pulled his hand away from the unexpectedly tight grip.

“You two getting along?” Gaster entered the living room.

“Papyrus tried to eat me”, Grillby deadpanned. Gaster joined them on the floor.

“Papyrus, don’t eat my boyfriend! I need him to open pickle jars when they are too tight!” Gaster scolded.

“You need me _just for the pickles_?” Grillby teased.

“What can I say? I like pickles”, Gaster teased back.

Grillby picked up the discarded raddle again.

“Why do babies try to eat everything anyway?” he asked.

“To figure out the taste and texture”, Gaster said. “Think of it from the babies perspective: they are encountered with something they have _never seen before_. Of course they try whatever they can to grasp what it is. You or I might pick the thing up, and turn it around in our hands. We can compare the new thing to all the things we’ve seen before, and guess based on how it looks and feels to touch. But a baby doesn’t have such coordination, or experience. So the next best option is to put in in their mouth. Besides-” Gaster leaned closer, their faces hovering just a breath away from each other “The mouth is a very sophisticated sensory organ, with lots and lots of ways to take in sensations.”

Gaster closed the distance between them and kissed Grillby. When he pulled back, Grillby’s fire had gained blue hues.

“GAH-AH!” Papyrus complained, sounding rather outraged.

“Oh? Does my little baby bones want kisses too?” Gaster cooed as he picked the baby up. “Do you want to be nomed at?”

Grillby smiled as Gaster went ‘nomnomnom’ on Papyrus’s cheek.


	4. Gaster is overworked, Grillby isn’t happy about it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> then00breturns asked:  
> hi! (if i request, expect grillster. i love grillster) as a drabble, could you write some sort of angst or hurt/comfort where grillby is frustrated that gaster is focusing too much on work and they get in an argument? whether it ends well or poorly is up to you ;) thanks for being a tumblr writer! writing is hard and you’re doing a great job

Grillby had made the sesame chicken Gaster liked. Baked that bread Gaster liked. He had even made chocolate mousse completely from scratch because Gaster liked it.

Everything was ready.

Gaster was nowhere to be seen.

Grillby checked his phone. No new messages. It was fine. Gaster had just gotten stuck at work. He was just late. It happens.

People are late. To date night. Without as much as a text.

Grillby sighed. He light up some candles on the table, romantic dinner and all. He folded the napkins into butterflies. He waited.

Grillby checked his phone. No new messages. The freshly baked bread had already cooled.

The sound of the door opening and closing felt so loud after the silence. Gaster shouted a weak greeting from the hallway. Grillby returned the greeting, trying to sound exited.

“Grillby, I’m so sorry I’m late. Work-” Gaster began as he entered the room.

“I know. Just sit and eat.” Grillby waved Gaster’s explanations away. Gaster took a seat.

“This all looks amazing”, he sighed, a smile spreading as he began to wolf down the food. Grillby briefly wondered if Gaster even had the time to taste it.

They ate. Aside from the usual praise of Grillby’s cooking, Gaster wasn’t much for conversation. Too tired from work. Which was fine. It happens.

Gaster suggested they stay in and watch a movie. Gaster suggested that Grillby should pick it, that he was fine with anything. And Grillby picked. He put the movie in as Gaster settled on the couch.

This was still a salvageable date night, Grillby thought. The two of them snuggled together on the couch, watching a good movie they had both seen a hundred times before, stealing kisses and nuzzling as Gaster tried to burrow into Grillby’s warmth like he always did.

Gaster fell asleep on the armrest fifteen minutes into the movie.

But it’s fine.

 

“Grillby, I’m so sorry I’m late again-”

“Stop.”

“What?”

Grillby balled his hands into fists.

“I said stop! I’m so _sick_ of this! I try and try and try, but it’s never enough-!”

“Stop yelling at me.”

“I do all this- put in all the effort- and _you_! You can’t even bother to show up on time!”

“I never asked for you to set up anything! I would have completely fine just ordering pizza and slouching on the couch-”

“Oh, pizza. _How romantic._ Fuck- I’m so sick of being the only one who cares! I’m so- I’m so _tired_ of doing this!”

“Well you know what’s tiring?” Gaster shouted. “Having Asgore- having the _entire monster population_ counting on me! If I can get the Core to work, the whole underground would have light and warmth, and okay, maybe that’s not something _you’d_ have on the top of your mind, but it’s _pretty damn important_ to the rest of us! This is my one chance to truly matter! My work is important, not just for everyone else, but for me!”

“I thought that I was important to you.”

Gaster flinched.

“But _fine_ ”, Grillby snarled. “You _clearly_ don’t need a dumb elemental dragging you down.”

Grillby slammed the door after himself. He pulled his hat deep, and propped his coat collar up. Maybe that would hide the molten tears running down his face.

 

There was a knock on the door, the telltale sound of bony knuckles on hard wood. Grillby briefly considered not answering. He sighed, and got up.

“Hi”, Gaster greeted with a weak voice. He wasn’t looking Grillby in the eye. Instead his sockets were fixed on a plastic box in his hands.

Grillby said nothing.

“I’m sorry.” Gaster swallowed. “I’m sorry I made you feel like I don’t appreciate you, that I take you for granted. I- You mean the world to me, Grillby. And I care about you, so, so much it _hurts_. And I- I’m sorry.” He was shaking. “I asked Asgore to hire more people at the lab, heh, he was horrified when I told him how much overtime I have been doing. And I told the interns to give me a kick if it looks like I’m accidentally staying late. And I-” The box in his hands was made out of clear plastic. Grillby could see that it contained cookies. They were charred and misshapen, but he recognized cranberries and white chocolate. His favourite. “I made these for you but they came out awful every time and you don’t have to eat them but I thought that I’d at least let you know that I tried and-”

Gaster voice broke as Grillby pulled him into a hug.

“I’m sorry”, Gaster sobbed into Grillby’s shirt. “Can you forgive me?”

Grillby nodded. “I’m still mad, though.”

“I know. I’ll be better, I promise.”

And Gaster made good of that promise.


	5. Mettaton tries to get Grillby to star in his cooking show

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "Mettaton and Grillby go to a cafe together for lunch. Where do they go? why do they go? what do they do while there? Bonus points if one makes a big over-dramatic scene other some small detail."
> 
>  
> 
> It was SO HARD for me to think of any reason these two would willingly interact with each other

Mettaton was already in the café when Grillby arrived, waiving to make sure he was noticed.

“Over here!”

Mettaton was in his box form, probably to avoid the attention of fans and paparazzi and whatever other people a celebrity would want to avoid, heck if Grillby knew.

He sat in one of the booths. The café was a small, secluded place, and surprisingly non-glittery for being a branch of the MTT Corporation. Grillby was quietly grateful.

“So good to see you, darling! Here,” Mettaton handed Grillby a menu. “Order anything you like. My treat.” There was a small _ding!_ that probably signalled a wink, it was hard to tell when Mettaton was in his box form.

“So, how have you been?”

Grillby shrugged. Getting his bar running on the surface had been a hassle, but things were slowly settling. Business was good; the novelty of a bar run by a fire elemental had attracted a lot of curious humans. Although Grillby did hope things calmed down a bit soon.

“Wonderful to hear!” Mettaton exclaimed, despite Grillby not saying a word out loud.

A waiter came by to take their orders. Grillby pointed out a sandwich on near end of the menu. The robot simply plugged himself to an outlet. The food came soon, and Mettaton went on a tirade of very one-sided small talk while Grillby ate.

Grillby fixed Mettaton an intent stare, hoping he would stop dawdling and get to the point already.

For once, the robot got the hint.

“So then, the reason I invited you here- and this is most confidential! –is…” Mettaton paused for dramatic affect. Grillby waited patiently.

“I want you to guest star in my cooking show!”

Grillby blinked. What? Then he frowned.

Grillby wasn’t particularly fond of Mettaton. He was loud and bombastic and attention hungry, but that was fine, to each their own. What really annoyed Grillby was that Mettaton was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none, _who pretended to be master of all_. His cooking show was mostly show and barely cooking, and what little cooking actually happened was amateur level. Or even worse, Mettaton would just talk about the dishes without actually preparing anything on screen. It was _infuriating_.

Grillby shook his head. No! He didn’t want to be a part of some dumb charade just so that the robot could pretend to a master chef! He didn’t want the attention of having cameras following his every move, knowing that hundreds, maybe thousands people were watching! No!

“Think about it! My dazzling presence, combined with your aloofness! A living flame, dressed dapper as ever, making delicious dished with his flames! The viewers will love you, the ratings will be through the roof!”

So that was what this was about. The tin can thought that he would look good on television.

Grillby got up from the table. He was leaving. Mettaton could find himself someone else if all he cared about was the aesthetics.

“What? At least hear me out!” Mettaton quickly placated, as he had noticed the vexed flicker of Grillby’s flame. “It would be an excellent opportunity to get exposure for your bar, you’d have more customers than ever!”

Grillby left the café. He didn’t want more exposure for his bar. He wanted to be left alone.

 

Later that day Papyrus dropped by for a milkshake, though he was very quick to ask about Grillby’s meeting with Mettaton. Of course. Grillby gave Papyrus a quick rundown.

“He just wants a boost to his ratings, and I’m ‘exotic’.”

“YOU KNOW, YOU AND METTATON HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN YOU THINK”, Papyrus mused while stirring his milkshake with a straw.

“What.”

Papyrus sipped his milkshake. “YOU MAKE FOOD FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU LIKE SEEING THEM HAPPY, RIGHT?”

Grillby nodded.

“METTATON DOES HIS SHOW BECAUSE IT MAKES HIS FANS AND VIEWERS HAPPY. HE JUST UNDERSTANDS HIS VIEWERS BEING HAPPY AS GOOD RATINGS. HE HANDLES NUMBERS THE BEST, HE IS A ROBOT AFTER ALL! WHILE YOU UNDERSTAND PEOPLE BEING HAPPY WHEN YOU SEE THE SMILES ON THEIR FACES.”

Grillby thought about what Papyrus had said. Grillby thought about it long after Papyrus had finished his milkshake and gone home.

Maybe…

Maybe he should reconsider Mettaton’s offer.

Given that they’d actually make something proper on the show.


	6. Grillby is sick, Gaster and the baby bones are various degrees of helpful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> snickerz171 asked:  
> "For the prompts, may I request a grillster prompt where Gaster and the baby bones try and look after Grillby because he's hurt or sick? (Ahh sorry if I messed something up, and, of course, it's okay if you don't do it. Thanks :D)"

Grillby hear the door open and close, which was no surprise. Gaster had texted him that he’d be coming over. What was a surprise were several voices chiming a greeting.

“In the bedroom!” Grillby hollered.

Soon the bedroom door opened, Papyrus running past Gaster’s legs, Sans behind him.

“GRILLBY! DADDY SAID THAT YOU’RE SICK! ARE YOU OKAY?? IS IT BAD??”

“Nah, it’s just the flu.” Grillby gave Gaster a glance that conveyed _Don’t get me wrong I love them but did you really have to bring the kids_ , and Gaster answered with an apologetic smile.

“How do you feel?” Gaster asked, sitting on the edge of Grillby’s bed.

“I’ve been better.” Grillby sighed. “I just feel… stuffy. And bored. It’s annoying to be too tired to really do anything but not tired enough to just sleep.”

“I BROGHT YOU THEODORE”, Papyrus said, handing Grillby a teddy bear. “SO THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE LONELY WHILE YOU’RE SICK! (BUT I WANT HIM BACK ONCE YOU’RE BETTER.)”

Grillby smiled. Theodore was one of Papyrus’s favourites. “Thank you. I’m sure he’ll keep me good company.” He placed the toy on the bed.

“Are you hungry?” Gaster asked.

“Not really. I haven’t had much of an appetite since I got sick.”

“Do you think you could eat something? Even if you don’t feel like it, you still need the energy.”

Grillby gauged his feelings. “Sure, I could have a bite.”

Gaster smiled. “Good. I brought you something, I’ll go heat it up quickly.” He got up.

“Boys, wont you come and help?”

Gaster gathered a handful of used teacups from Grillby’s nightstand as he went to the door, Papyrus in tow.

“Sans, are you coming?”

Sans had remained quiet this whole time. He was looking at Grillby intently. He shook his head.

“Sans, Grillby needs to rest-”

“It’s fine”, Grillby interrupted. “He can keep me company if he wants to.”

After a moment of hesitation, Gaster and Papyrus left.

Sans climbed on the bed, seating himself on the blanket. Still giving Grillby that intent look.

“Hello.”

“hi.”

Still staring.

“you look weird.”

Grillby shuffled on his side so that he could better look at Sans.

“Weird how?”

“your flame is wrong.”

“I’m just burning low because I’m tired.”

“still.” Sans fidgeted with his sleeves. “you’re not supposed to look like that.”

Grillby tilted his head.

“What am I supposed to look like, then?”

“big and strong and bright.”

Sans hesitated.

“are you gonna to die?”

“What? Sans, of course not! It’s just the flu…” Grillby trailed off.

So _that’s_ why Sans wanted to stay and watch over him.

Gaster and Papyrus never got sick, but Sans did, often. And there was nothing that made Gaster more distressed than his 1 HP baby bones getting ill. Sans was mimicking Gaster’s behaviour…

“Sans, everything is going to be alright. It’s just the flu. I’ll be better before you know it, I promise”, Grillby said with a gentle smile.

“Okay?”

Sans fidgeted with his sleeves again, then nodded. “okay.”

Gaster opened the door with a plate in hand. Papyrus followed, carrying a thermos and a fresh teacup.

“Here”, Gaster said as he handed Grillby the plate: a slice of quiche.

“WE MADE YOU TEA! BUT YOU CAN DRINK IT LATER”, Papyrus exclaimed as he put the thermos and cup on the nightstand.

Grillby ate. Gaster wasn’t much for cooking but he knew how to make a good quiche.

“Do you want to rest, or…?”

“Stay. Please.”

Silence hung in the air. Grillby wanted to ask Gaster for something, but he didn’t want to bother Gaster more than he already had.

Thankfully, Gaster seemed to guess what Grillby wished for.

“Would you like for me to read to you?” Gaster asked.

“I- yes. That would be nice. If you’re not in a hurry or anything.”

“BEDTIME STORY!” Papyrus climbed on the bed, settling next to Sans.

Gaster went to the bookshelf.

“How about this?” Gaster showed Grillby a book, old and worn. Grillby nodded with a smile.

Gaster settled on a chair next to the bed, and begun the read.

_“Call me Ishmael. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world-_ ”

Grillby was soon lulled to sleep by Gaster’s calm, soothing voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The book at the end there is Moby Dick ^^


	7. Grillby/Reader, mermaid AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TheNinjaMouse envisioned a Mermaid AU for their excellent fic [Ocean on Fire](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10969491/chapters/24422127), and metafanworks are kinda my jam, so

He was gathering up the last glasses from the terrace on the pier when he heard you, or rather, your splashing.

“Hello! Sun-man!” you hollered, hands hitting the water, splash! splash! splash! “Down here!”

He placed his tray of glasses on the table, and walked to the edge of the terrace.

“Do you need help, hu-man…?” His last word trailed off as he saw your tail, smooth and shimmery scales in the colour of a sunset.

You laughed.

“I’m not a human! Though I understand the confusion.” You cupped your face, your very human looking face, and dove under the water, letting your tail breach the surface just to show it off. And when your head popped back on the surface, your hair was sticking to your face in wet strands.

Your hair, even more strikingly coloured than your tail.

“Finny said that Undyne said that this is the best place to get grub!” You slapped a few wet bills on the terrace flooring. “One land food, please!”

Grillby was too weirded out to really question the situation, or to tell you that he had actually just closed. He dried the bills with quick fire magic (later, when his mind had caught up with his surroundings, he’d notice that you’d given him 10 Deutche Marks and two thirds of a 300-yen bill), and went to get you a land food.

 

“So _everything_ is just stuck flatly on the ground? Next to each other?”

“The birds fly, sometimes, but mostly.”

You whistled. “That’s _weird_.”

You had made a habit of coming to his terrace on the pier around closing time. He had made a habit of talking to you.

It was nice.

More than nice.

“When you’re underwater, you can go in every direction! Not just side to side, but up and down as you please! And being trapped on the land bed like that-!” You looked appalled.

“It’s not that bad. I could show you sometime. You could sit in a wheelchair; I’d push you around. Show you the beach from this side of the boulevard.”

You shook you head. “I can’t leave the water, my tail get’s really gross if it dries. Makes me want to claw my scales off. I don’t even want to think about if it dried completely!” It was high tide, and the water was near the edge of the terrace. You were lying on your stomach; tail lazily treading the water as your upper half rested on the lacquered wood, him sitting next to you.

You perked up.

“But you could come swimming with me! I could show you the atolls, the best crab spots-”

“I can’t touch water. I’m made out of fire, remember?”

“So?”

And that was when he realized that you had probably never seen fire from up close, just him.

“Shore. The water would put my flame out.”

You tilted your head.

“I'd die.”

You face fell.

“Oh.” You didn’t know what to say to that.

“But we can still talk?” you said hesitantly.

Your hair, your beautiful sunset hair had dried during the evening.

Grillby carefully reached forward, touching your hair. Letting his fingers untangle the strands by your face. You closed your eyes, a blissful smile on your lips.

“Yeah. We can still talk.”


	8. Gaster meets the First fallen human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "After a few weeks of getting used to life underground, Chara is finally given a proper tour of their new home (with Asriel as their guide, of course). The royal lab is included in said tour, giving Gaster the chance to meet a human for the first time is years...."
> 
> Also heads up: this one is a tad graphic at one point

There was a knock on the laboratory door.

“Come in!” Gaster hollered, finishing up his equations. If this problem wouldn’t solve analytically, maybe he should just make a simulation, use the Monte Carlo method… He’d have to ask the university if he could hook the royal laboratory computers into their cluster overnight.

“Hello Doctor Gaster!” said a high-pitched voice as the door opened.

“Hello, Asriel-” Gaster put his pencil down as he looked up. “…And I can see you brought someone with you.”

Behind the young prince was standing a human, a small human. But a human nonetheless. Asriel began prattling introductions, not that they were necessary. Gaster knew fully well about the fallen child the royal family had adopted.

But hearing about something and experiencing it first-hand…

“-and I’m showing them around! A full tour!” Asriel finished proudly.

“I see.”

Even if it delayed his work, he had never minded showing Asriel around. He’d nurture even the smallest spark for the sciences in the young prince. Asgore was an amazing king, but he wasn’t very scientifically literate. He hoped that, as future king, Asriel would in turn nurture the field of sciences, for the good of all monsterkind.

But this was different. The other child, despite their matching stripes with Asriel, was a human.

A human.

There had been a time where Gaster would have welcomed a human into his laboratory with open arms, child or not.

There had been a time where Gaster himself had been taught by humans. He had been the apprentice of a human doctor, a human midwife had taught him how to deliver a baby, a human child had taught him how to braid hair and knit when he had been little.

And there had been a time where those humans turned on him, when they chased him out, when they took their swords and spears and looked at him with pure hate in their eyes. A time when a human mage summoned a wave of water to kill Grillby. A time where a human sunk their sword into his skull. A time where human blood stained his hands, his face, his everything, and all he could feel was disbelief about the fact that he wasn’t dead.

And now there was a human, a small human, hand in hand with the child of his friend, looking at him from underneath their bangs.

And Gaster felt something ugly and unnerving shift within himself.

Gaster swallowed, and tried to stomp it out, push it away. Keep his voice even.

“Well, then. How about I show you two around?”

And Gaster did, reciting his usual shtick, while Asriel asked questions. The human followed.

Until they didn’t.

“That’s the Core monitor, it –well, it monitors the Core. Here you see the temperatures oscillate”, Gaster explained.

The human stared at the monitor.

“Are you interested in power plants?”

“I like to see numbers go up. It is satisfying to watch.” The human spoke for the first time, and something about their voice gave Gaster chills.

Later, Gaster would think about asking Asgore to tell his children not to come to the laboratories uninvited. There were many hazards, after all, chemicals that looked completely innocent, friendly-looking buttons to push and valves to turn.

So, so many good, legitimate reasons for them to stay away.


	9. Gaster tries to gather himself after getting out of the Void

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe said:  
> "Gaster somehow escapes his void prison after years, decades, maybe even centuries of being forgotten. Now what?"
> 
> This was fun to write, so it's extra long ^^

First, the darkness of the Void. Then, a piercing white light.

And then?

He wasn’t all that sure what happened then.

But he did know was that after eons of being nothing but a consciousness? _Loosing_ said consciousness was a damn scary experience.

 

The first thing he came aware of was pain. Everything ached, all over. His skull hurt.

Then came the sensation of something cold and hard and coarse, something pressing into his temple and shoulder and hip and knee. A sound of dripping water, somewhere. The smell of wet stone. Darkness, not the vantablack of the Void, just absence of light. A sense of heaviness.

A sense of…

Gravity.

He had a skull and a shoulder and a hip and a knee.

Realisation jolted him awake.

Gaster opened his eye sockets.

Even the dim cave felt glaringly bright, even the dripping water loud enough to split his skull in half.

He squeezed his eyes back closed. He, he could do this. Probably. He’d just have to continue breathing.

Gaster focused on the rise and fall of his ribcage. In, out, in, out. This was his body. He was the one in control. He carefully began to flex his fingers. Curl into a fist, open. Rotate the wrists. Curl toes, rotate ankles. Then, move his arm, palm on the ground, push. Then the other arm for support at the elbow. Push.

Gaster sat up.

Eventually, he blinked his eyes back open, and managed to keep them open. His sense were slowly adjusting, good. Good.

Breathe.

Alright. Good.

Keeping his movements slow and careful, Gaster inspected himself. Despite the dull pain felt all over, no visible damage, and no broken bones. Good. Still, a headache, possibly due to the sensory overload. He could deal with that.

Inventory?

Gaster dug through his pockets. Three tissues, mostly unused. A piece of wrapped candy of dubious origin. His phone, screen cracked.

After a few desperate attempts, it came clear that the phone wouldn’t turn on. Either broken, or dead battery.

Gaster ate the candy. Might as well.

Next?

Next. He needed a plan.

He stood up leaning into the wall, and took a few shaky steps. Alright. He could do this.

Gaster walked to the mouth of the cave. Judging by the dark shade of the stone floor and the sounds he heard, he had to be in Waterfall. Now where in Waterfall, that was the question.

He heard something, fast tapping of feet.

A small monster child ran past him, not much more that a flash of yellow. The child skidded to a halt, and turned to look at Gaster.

“Yo! Mister-!”

Gaster slammed his hands on where his ears would be. How could a single child be so loud!?

The child tilted his head.

“Are you alright?”

Gaster nodded. “Could you please talk a little quieter? My hearing is a little amplified at the moment, it would seem”, he whispered.

“Yo, you’ve got a cool accent!” the child whispered with wide eyes.

“Thank you”, Gaster flashed a smile, letting his hands down. “Could you be so kind as to point me in the direction of Snowdin? I need to find someone.”

“It’s that way”, the child nodded in a direction behind Gaster. “But I don’t think you’ll find anyone there, haha.”

Gaster felt something cold spread inside him. “How come?”

“Haven’t you heard? The barrier broke!” The child was getting louder with excitement. “Everyone’s heading you, yo!”

Gaster blinked. Out?

Someone shouted in the distance.

“Dude, that’s my parents! I’ve gotta go!” The child ran off. “Yo, see you later!” They shouted over their shoulder.

Out. The barriers was broken. Everyone was going out.

If Snowdin was that way, then Hotland was the other way. Gaster began walking.

 

Gaster walked through the archway that led to where the barrier had once stood. He knew the way. How many days, how many _weeks_ had he used to try and throw everything he could possibly think of at the cursed thing? And now. It was gone. Like it had never been there.

Gaster stepped outside.

The view was breathtaking.

A mountain on the left, a city on the right, lights shining. The ocean in between, stretching all the way to the horizon. And high above, the sky. The inky black sky, dotted with stars. Open, endless space, continuing forever and ever.

Gaster could still spot a constellation or two.

He glanced down the mountainside. He could see fires, and tents. Some kind of temporary settlement for the freed monsterkind.

Gaster began to walk down the mountainside.

First priority: find Sans and Papyrus. Everything else could wait.


	10. The UT-gang has trouble picking a movie to watch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "Frisk invites all their monster friends over for a movie night. However, once everyone shows up they have a problem... nobody can agree on what to watch! How do they choose?"
> 
> It was admittedly fun to pick a movie for everyone ^^

“Thanks for the invite, Frisk!”

“YES, THIS WAS A GREAT IDEA!”

“Y-yeah! It’s so much more f-fun to watch good flicks with o-others!”

Frisk grinned.

_So, what do you all want to watch?_ they signed.

“I have just the movie in mind!” everyone said in unison.

Silence fell on the group, as everyone glanced between each other.

“Alright, if everyone has a suggestion, we should hear everyone out. Then we can pick something us all will like”, Toriel said.

“I’ll start!” Undyne exclaimed from the beanbag chair where she had nestled with Alphys. She reached for her bag and pulled out a DVD case. “ _Kill Bill_! It has cool fight scenes, and just look at the sword on the cover the cover! This movie kicks ass!”

“LANGUAGE”, Papyrus chastised.

Toriel frowned. “May I see that for a minute?”

The DVD changed hands, and Toriel’s brow furrowed further.

“Undyne, this is rated R.”

“Yeah! R for RADICAL!”

“Moving on”, Toriel said. “Alphys, what did you bring?”

“ _Girls und Panzer_! I think you m-might like this, Toriel! It’s had a lot of human history in it!”

Toriel once again inspected the DVD case.

“Alphys, this is about high school girls practicing tank warfare as a sport.”

“B-but all the tanks are historical!”

“I DON’T WANT TO WATCH SOME SILLY ANIME!” Papyrus complained from his seat at the floor. “WE SHOULD WATCH _CARS_ INSTEAD!”

“NO! I REFUSE!” Alphys shouted, making everybody jump. “The entire _Cars_ franchise is a STAIN on Pixar’s reputation!! It is an ABOMINABLE SELL-OUT of a GOOD animation team deciding that they just want to SELL TOYS-!!”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down, babe”, Undyne placated, wrapping her arms around Alphys.

“Sans, was did you have in mind?” Toriel quickly asked.

“ _spaceballs_.”

Toriel raised an eyebrow.

“it’s more PG than the name sounds”, Sans explained, sliding further down the couch. “it’s a comedy. in space.”

“I SAY THAT WE DISREGARD SANS’S OPINION ON THE GROUNDS THAT HE’LL FALL ASLEEP AFTER THE FIRST 15 MINUTES ANYWAY.”

“harsh, bro.” Sans yawned. “true, but harsh.”

“TORIEL, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO WATCH?”

“I was thinking about _Mamma Mia_ ”, Toriel answered. “It’s a nice, feel-good musical-”

“ _Laaaaaameeeee_ ”, Undyne whined. “Asgore, do you have a suggestion?”

“Oh, I’m fine with anything”, Asgore said with a shrug, coming from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn.

“I suppose that leaves you, my child”, Toriel sighed. “What would you like to watch?”

Frisk pulled up the digital rental store on the TV. Hmmm. If Sans was going to fall asleep after the first 15 minutes, maybe _Up_ would be a good pick?

The screen glitched.

Frisk tried to push the buttons of the remote control, but the image kept jumping.

Until it settled, as suddenly as it had glitched in the first place.

It still had the rental store open. But on the screen instead of _Up_ there was a movie called…

“ _coco_?”

Frisk frowned, and was about to back up in search of their pick, but their phone buzzed.

Frisk pulled the device from their pocket. It was a text from an unknown number. But the contents were small pictograms instead of normal letters.

A pointy flag, a frowny face, a finger pointing left, two fingers up, teardrop, a finger pointing left, and a hand holding a pen.

_PLEASE?_

Frisk looked up at everyone else. They were looking at the poster, and the description of the movie.

“THIS HAS SKELETONS? I AM, ADMITTEDLY, INTRIGUED!”

“Is this a musical?” Toriel asked.

“I guess it’s worth checking out Pixar’s newer material”, Alphys grumbled.

“If it’s bad we’ll just make out”, Undyne whispered, evidently not quietly enough, making Alphys sputter and blush.

“sure”, Sans nodded. “let’s watch _coco_.”

“Well chosen”, Asgore said.

Frisk’s phone buzzed once more.

Snowflake, finger pointing down, two fingers up, skull and crossbones, neutral face, star, flag, cross.

Frisk smiled at the device and pocketed it. They then pressed play.


	11. Gaster turns tiny, much to Grillby’s amusement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "A simple miscalculation in complicated science equations often leads to disastrous consequences, this time including a 3-inch-tall Gaster. It should be easy to make some kind of cure, except he's now too small to use any of his big lab equipment! Wait a second, wasn't Grillby coming over for lunch today?"
> 
> I went a little shippy with this ^^

Grillby knocked on the laboratory door, two paper bags in hand.

There was no answer.

Odd. Gaster usually invited Grillby in, or told him to wait a minute if he had his hands full of something volatile. Maybe he was popping out, off to get more chemicals from the storeroom or something?

Grillby opened the door and walked in. Papers strewn all around, filled with scribbles, pipettes and glass jars with colourful contents decorated every surface, as usual. He placed the paper bags on the table, away from Gaster’s stuff.

A messy pile of clothes on the floor caught his eye, Gaster’s jet-black coat on top.

Grillby’s stomach sunk.

“GASTER!” He rushed next to the clothes, panic flickering in his flame. “Oh my stars, Gaster, nononono-”

“Grillby?” came a quiet, muffled voice.

“Gaster?”

Grillby reached for the coat, carefully lifting it. And there, peaking from the hemline on his turtleneck, was-

Gaster. A teeny-tiny Gaster.

“Uh. Hi”, Gaster said, trying to lift the fabric to cover himself.

Grillby burst out laughing, both out of relief and for the sheer absurdity of the situation. Gaster was the size of his finger!

“Stars, what happened to you?” Grillby asked, still snickering.

“Just a slight miscalculation, I hope.”

That managed to sober Grillby up a bit.

“Gaster, what did we talk about using yourself as a guinea pig?” He scolded.

“Well, last time I tested stuff on myself, I got two adorable children, so so far I’d say the whole experience has been net positive”, Gaster deadpanned. “Besides, this ought to be reversible. Lift me on the table, would you?”

Grillby reached for Gaster.

“ _Wait!_ ” Gaster exclaimed, clutching the fabric of his turtleneck. “I’m not decent! Could I borrow your handkerchief?”

Grillby gave Gaster his handkerchief, but it quickly came clear that the piece of cloth was too big for him to manage.

“Just give it here, I’ll do it”, Grillby sighed. Gaster was about to protest, when Grillby continued: “Oh come on Gaster, it’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before.”

Gaster blushed, but closed his mouth, and allowed Grillby to tie to fabric around himself.

“Okay. A toga party it is then”, Gaster joked.

Grillby placed his hand on the ground, and Gaster climbed on, sitting on Grillby’s palm. He grabbed onto Grillby’s thumb with a yelp as Grillby lifted him up.

“Do you want to eat before science-ing again?”

Gaster sighed. “Sure.”

Grillby unpacked their lunches, placing some fries on a napkin for Gaster as he began to eat his burger.

Gaster grabbed a fry with both hands, and began to eat it like a baguette. Grillby chuckled again.

“You sure you want this reversed? You look adorable like this!” Grillby reached to pet Gaster’s skull with his finger. “I’m sure Fuku would borrow you some stuff from her dollhouse, too!”

Gaster swallowed the last of his fry.

“The kissing logistics would be a nightmare”, he deadpanned.

Grillby snorted. “Point taken.”


	12. Gaster is late again, Grillby isn’t happy about it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> missccp asked:  
> "Writing prompt: Grillby and Gaster were supposed to meet up. Gaster's late again. And his excuses don't really help. :) "
> 
> I tried not to retread chapter 4 too much ^_^'

Grillby killed time by kicking around a lump of ice he had found on the roadside. With every kick bits broke off, until a strong kick split the lump in half. Grillby punted both halves on the frozen over pond, one after the other, watching as they skidded on the ice.

Gaster was late.

Again.

Grillby sat on the park bench, having lost his toy. Gaster had at least messaged him that he’d be late. No idea _how_ late, but late anyway.

Grillby was just about beginning to consider leaving when Gaster finally jogged along the park trail.

Gaster stopped to pant, his breath forming while clouds in the cold air.

“I’m sorry, Grillby-”

“What was it this time?” Grillby asked, snide. “Were you kidnapped by aliens?”

“The bus got stuck in the snow-”

“Oh, c’mon Gaster, you used that one already.” Grillby glared at Gaster. “Tuesday, right? You were late because of the bus? Or was Tuesday Papyrus setting a small kitchen fire with Undyne?”

“Grillby-”

“What day was you getting stuck at work because the electric doors wouldn’t open?”

“Grillby, please-”

“I liked the one with Sans hiding all you left shoes as a prank, that one was imaginative at least!”

“I’m sorry, alright!” Gaster cried out.

Grillby took a deep breath. Then he stood up.

“Listen. I get that you’re bad at keeping track of time.” Grillby began. “But I’m really sick of you making up excuses like this.”

“I- I’m sorry. Please let me make it up to you-”

“ _Not now_ , Gaster.” Grillby gave an exasperated sigh. “I- We can work through this together, I’m sure, but not now.”

Grillby began to walk away. “Right now I don’t have the energy to do more that hiss at you.”

“I… okay. Fair enough.” Gaster ran to catch up with Grillby. “But can I at least walk you home?”

“Suit yourself.”

The two of them walked in silence Gaster fiddling with his phone on the way.

 

They arrived to Grillby’s apartment, and Grillby dug his keys out of his pocket.

“So. Bye, then-” he said as he opened the door.

“SURPRISE!” came a chorus of voices.

Grillby looked at his apartment in bewilderment. Balloons, paper streamer, and other decorations were everywhere, and the room was full of people.

“What- what’s all this?” Grillby asked.

“A SURPRISE PARTY, OF COURSE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRILLBY!” Papyrus exclaimed.

Grillby turned to look at Gaster.

“Did you know about this?”

“dad’s the one who organized the whole shindig”, Sans said, somehow already with a paper cup in his hand. “he’s been running around all week trying to set everything up.”

Gaster was smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry about all the dumb excuses, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

Grillby shook his head, pulling Gaster to a hug.

“You numbskull.”


	13. Gaster and baby bones movie night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mr-scribson asked:  
> "For the drabbles thing, could you make Dadster having a stereotypical 90s movie night with the Baby Bones? Thank you!"
> 
> I have no idea what stereotypical 90s movie night is supposed to include, but an attempt was made!

“WHOAAAAAA!” Papyrus gasped as he saw the shelves upon selves of VHS-tapes. “SO MANY MOVIES!”

Gaster chuckled. It was the first time he was bringing the boys to the video rental shop.

“Come along, the kids films are over here”, he said, gesturing to a shelf on the side. The boys rushed to look through the different movies.

“i wanna see this one!” Sans exclaimed quickly, pulling a case from the shelf, and showing _Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins_ to Gaster.

“Papyrus, would you be okay with this one?” Gaster asked.

Papyrus looked at the shelf a bit longer, then glanced at the cover of the case, then looking at the shelf again.

“I’D RATHER WATCH THIS ONE”, he said, pointing at _A Bugs Life_.

“Sans, what do you think of Papyrus’s pick?”

Sans shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“but this one is in space.”

“Alright, we’ll flip a coin. Sans, heads, Papyrus, tails. Okay?”

The coin landed heads. Sans gave a quiet “yesss!”. Papyrus pouted.

“You’ll get to pick next time, okay?” Gaster consoled. Papyrus nodded, and Gaster went to pay for the movie.

 

The kernels chimed cheerfully against the pot lid as the popcorn popped.

“DADDY, DON’T BURN THEM THIS TIME!” Papyrus exclaimed, carefully lining up his stuffed animals on front of the couch to watch the movie.

“Oh, when have I ever burnt anything while cooking?”

“LAST TIME THIS MORNING, WHEN YOU MADE TEA!” Papyrus provided without missing a beat.

“you should marry Grillby already, he never burns anything”, Sans stated from the couch.

“We’re working on it, Sans. We’re working on it”, Gaster answered, shaking the kettle so that the popcorn wouldn’t stick like Grillby had instructed him to.

Gaster poured the popcorn (only slightly charred, than you very much) in a bowl, and added salt.

“Everyone ready?” he asked.

Papyrus climbed on the couch, next to Sans. “READY!”

“You have a blanket to hide under if there are scary parts?”

Sans nodded, lifting a polka-dot quilt.

“I’M NOT GONNA BE SCARED! AT ALL!”

Gaster placed the popcorn on the coffee table, only for Sans to snatch it immediately.

“bro, check this out”, he said, dunking his face in the bowl.

“gho hanghh!” Sans tried to say, his mouth full of popcorn.

“SANS, THAT’S GROSS!” Papyrus giggled.

Gaster shook his head, hiding a smile as he knelt in front of the TV and fed the tape to the VHS-player. The machine whirred to life, and as Gaster settled on the couch next to the boys, the movie began.


	14. "I thought I lost you", Grillster edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> silverskye13 asked:  
> "Ya went and reblogged that angsty romance thing and now I gotta ask you to write a prompt based on the "I thought I lost you!" One for Grillster. If you don't mind that is! And thank you in advance. :) "
> 
>  
> 
> WARNING: Fairly graphic violence

Grillby swung his sword, and the human fell to the ground with a gurgle as blood gushed from the wound.

Now where the hell was that mage!? He had seen flashes of light from somewhere here-

Grillby heard a scream. And he knew exactly whom that voice belonged to, even across the noise of the battlefield.

He turned toward the sound. There, not too far off. Gaster, on the ground, trying to scramble to his feet and back away, his skull red under his eye. A human, their sword equally red, stepping forward, weapon raised.

It was as if time slowed down as Grillby began running.

Gaster. Tilting his head up.

Grillby, too slow, too far.

The sword, sinking deep into Gaster’s skull.

Screaming.

The human kicking Gaster in the chest as they yanked the blade off his head. Gaster falling limply on the ground.

Somewhere, right at the edge of Grillby’s field of vision, the robes and shining staff of a mage. A flash of light, a blinding pain, and everything

went

_black_

 

 

Grillby sat by the edge of the river. The water coursed fast and quiet, reflecting the dark sky above. It almost looked black.

There was the sound to footsteps on the gravel.

“Didn’t think they’d let you out of the infirmary yet”, came Gerson’s raspy voice.

Grillby shook his head.

“You just waltzed off on your own?”

Grillby nodded.

Gerson sat on the rocky ground next to Grillby.

“How’re you holdin up?” he asked after a while.

Grillby picked up a dark grey stone off the ground and threw it in the river. It plumped into the black water with a _PLUNK_.

“Do you know any constellations, Gerson?” he asked.

“Can’t say I do, lad. Can’t say I do.”

“That one’s Hercules”, Grillby said, pointing up. “He was his super strong hero who had to do twelve labours. Slay the Nemean lion and the Lernaean Hydra. Capture the Ceryneian Hind and the Erymanthian Boar. Clean the Augean stables in a single day. Slay the Stymphalian birds.”

“What about the other six?”

“I don’t know.” Grillby turned his head down to look at the river. “Gaster said he’d tell me the rest of the story later. He told me not to do anything stupid, or I’d miss out on the ending.”

Grillby threw another stone in the river. _PLUNK_.

“Funny, isn’t it? That _he_ told _me_ to be careful?” Grillby laughed, a dark, humourless laugh that deteriorated to sobbing. “It’s _so fucking funny_ how _he’s_ the one who-” his voice broke.

Gerson placed his hand on Grillby’s shoulder as he cried.

“ _I was supposed to protect him!_ ” Grillby wailed into the night.

 

 

There were a lot on new faces in the camp. The fourth legion, Gerson had said. They had been flanking the humans from the side in the fight where-

Grillby stopped his thoughts.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

“Hey! You! Fire elemental! You’re Grillby, right?” some unfamiliar voice said. Grillby turned to look at the monster, and nodded.

“They want you at the infirmary.”

Grillby nodded. Some small part of him wondered what they wanted from him. But he was mostly too numb to really care. He began walking.

“Oh, right, hey! They wanted you at the _second_ infirmary!” the monster stopped him.

Grillby was confused.

“There’s a second infirmary?”

“Yeah, since the fourth legion came in, they had a lot of wounded with them. It’s that way.”

Grillby nodded a quiet thanks, and began walking.

Once he got to there, a nurse pointed him to the back. “He hasn’t shut up about you since we found him”, she said, strutting off. Grillby felt confused as he began to weave through the tent.

He saw a glimpse of something.

A while, skeletal hand, hanging off the edge of a bunk.

_It couldn’t be._

But there he laid, skull completely wrapped up in gauze so that only the mouth was visible, ribcage cracked but steadily rising and falling.

Grillby rushed to the bedside.

“Gaster…” His voice was but a broken whisper, unbelieving.

“Grillby…?” came a quiet answer, as Gaster tilted his bandaged head.

“I’m here”, Grillby sobbed, taking Gaster’s hand and lacing their fingers together.

“Grillby…” Gaster smiled, just a bit, and weakly squeezed Grillby’s hand.

Grillby had not known he still had any tears left to shed as he knelt by the bunk.

“I thought I lost you…”


	15. Gaster looses the kids, but finds them in Temmie village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "Gaster looses his boys in waterfall, and after a long time of searching he finds them in a very strange place: Temmie Village."
> 
> The Temmie bit was kinda eclipsed by the misplaced children angst...

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck._

“SANS!” Gaster shouted as he raced through the winding tunnels. “PAPYRUS!”

He had stopped to look through the telescope just for a minute, and the boys had been talking with each other, and once Gaster looked up, they had vanished into thin air.

Why had he brought them to Waterfall? Why _the fuck_ hadn’t he been paying better attention??

What if something happened!? Waterfall was riddled with dangers! Precarious bridges, sudden drops, the works! What if they fell into the water? Or got hit by a falling rock? What if a human fell down and-!?

“SANS!” Gaster shouted, trying to fight back panic. “PAPYRUS!”

“hOI! Tol skele!” a high-pitched voice called.

Gaster skidded to a halt, looking down.

“U lookin for smol skeles?” the monster-a temmie-asked.

“Yes! My sons- One is about this tall, wearing a red scarf, the other a bit shorter, with big eye-sockets. Have you seen them?”

“Their in Temmie Village! Bob found them!” The Temmie vibrated intensely. “Smol skeles!! So cUTE!!!1!”

Gaster sighed in relief. If someone was looking after them, the boys probably couldn’t be in too much trouble. “Please, bring me there!”

 

Papyrus was sitting in front of a mural as one of the temmies recounted some tall tale about a cool dragon.

“Papyrus!”

The boy turned to look and scrambled to his feet.

“DADDY!”

Gaster scooped Papyrus into his arms, hugging him tight.

“Where on earth did you two disappear to! I was worried sick!”

“I’M SORRY DADDY! WE JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY LOOK AROUND THE CORNER, AND ANOTHER CORNER, AND THEN WE DIDN’T REMEMBER WHICH CORNERS THEY WERE ANYMORE!”

“Shhh, shh, its okay”, Gaster reassured as he heard the tone of Papyrus’s voice. The child must have been so scared. “But next time we go somewhere new, I want you two to stay were I can see you, alright?”

Papyrus nodded.

“Now, where’s Sans?”

“IN THE SHOP. WE FOUND SOME DOG RESIDUE, AND TRIED TO USE IT, AND THEN THERE WAS _SO MUCH_ DOG RESIDUE ALL OF A SUDDEN!”

Papyrus still in his arms, Gaster ventured into the shop, finding Sans haggling about the price of dog salad with the shop temmie.

Gaster would probably have to have a talk with Sans about trying to swindle people, but right now he was just happy his sons were safe.


	16. Grillby's summoning day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:  
> "Grillbys summoning day?"

For a short moment, everything felt pleasant. He was warm and safe, and everything was exactly as it should be.

Then the fire around him began to die down.

He didn’t like it. No! The fire felt nice! Why was it draining away!?

He blinked his eyes open. Maybe he could get the fire back…?

There was fire around him, a ring of fire, flames getting smaller by the second. He sat up from the ball he had been curled into.

He was in a tent, dimly lit, getting dimmer. There were people there, people that were talking in hushed tones.

He blinked a bit. He felt drowsy. Like he’d been sleeping forever and ever, so long that he’d almost forgotten what the words around him meant.

He concentrated.

“It’s rather small, don’t you think?”

He was small. Maybe half the size of everyone else in the tent.

“It’ll grow.”

The ring of fire was just a ring of charred dirt now. He didn’t like it. The fire had felt nice. Sleeping had felt nice. Being called small didn’t feel nice.

“Hello, little flame.”

It took him a moment to realize that the monster-big and hairy and light blue-had talked to him.

“Can you understand me?” the monster asked.

He nodded.

“Good. Here”, the monster handed him a white piece of fabric. “Something to cover yourself with.”

One of the other monsters yelped as he took the cloth. “It’ll burn it-!”

But he didn’t burn it. Why should he? He turned the fabric in his hands: it was a… a… tunic! Tunic was a long shirt like this!

He put it on. He couldn’t- couldn’t _quite_ remember how, but his hands seemed to know.

The fabric tented over his small form, the sleeves flowing over his hands. It was all right. It was nice to wear a tunic, he decided. Not as nice as sleep in the fire, but nice.

One of the monsters sighed.

“Garren, why don’t you get it fed while we go tell them that the summoning was successful?”

 

He gasped as he stepped outside the tent.

It was beautiful!

Everything was white, white and shiny and strange! Like the world had been covered in sugar!

He reached his hand to the sugar on the ground-

And pulled it back with a pained hiss. It hurt! Why did it hurt?

And Garren was already walking ahead, with out him! He couldn’t walk on the sugar, it hurt! And they were supposed to go together-!

He made a sound, something like a squeak. Garren stopped on their track, and turned to look.

“Aren’t you coming…?” they said, trailing off as they noticed him shifting his weight from foot to foot, just at the edge of the sugar.

“Oh, right. The snow.”

Snow? He’d have to remember that word.

Garren muttered something about shoes.

 

They got to the mess hall eventually. Garren gave him a pointy thing that smelled delicious.

“Meat skewers today! The hunting party must have been lucky!”

Garren gave a strangled shout as he put the thing in his mouth, all at once. It was mostly really good! But the crunchy bits tasted dull.

Garren was staring at him with a shocked expression.

“Uh. You’re… you’re not supposed to eat the stick…” they said slowly. “Oh my goodness there were _bones_ in there…” they continued to themselves.

 

The evening was strange. He felt awake and drowsy at the same time. He had felt drowsy since he woke up, like his mind was stuck in syrup. But with every passing hour his mind felt sharper, clearer. Like he could actually think. The day went on, his body grew weary as his head woke up. It was weird.

“Winterflame? Why are you still up?”

He turned to look. Winterflame, that was him, they had said. Fire elemental summoned in winter. Not the most creative of titles, but it was something, at least.

“What’s going to happen to me?” he asked. He looked at his hands. The sleeves of the tunic were up to his knuckles, no longer covering his fingers like it had in the morning. He’d probably need new shoes tomorrow.

“First, you’ll be sent to the training camp with the other elementals”, Garren answered.

“And then?”

“I can’t say for certain.” Garren looked up, at the stars. “In war, nothing is for certain.”


	17. Grillster movie theather date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous asked:  
> "grillster date to the movie theater please"
> 
> I wanted to pick something old, and I remembered the one old-timey Zorro film I saw once, but I couldn't figure out the name. But apparently there are like 5 different flicks named The Mask of Zorro? So imagine that this is one of them.

****

Grillby and Gaster were walking hand in hand down the street. The boat ride to the New Home had been nerve-wrecking for Grillby, but it should be worth it.

A movie theatre had opened in the capitol. Undergrounds first.

While film reels had landed in the dump more than a few times, getting a working projector was no small feat. Not to mention that the film reels were more often than not so water damaged they weren’t really any use for anybody. Gaster was quietly impressed that someone had managed to get all the necessary machinery running.

The movie theatre had opened a few weeks ago. Gaster and Grillby had meant to go from the start, but it was difficult to find a time slot that would work for both of their busy schedules.

But now they were there, in front of the small movie theatre, under a sign announcing a screening of _The Mark of Zorro._

There were quite a few other monsters to see the movie, so the pair got into the queue.

Gaster’s eye sockets were quickly fixed on a large machine behind the counter. It had a big glass box, and some kind of metal kettle near the top. The monster selling tickets was loading it up with something.

Suddenly, there was small popping sounds, and cheerful clings coming from the kettle. Fluffy, white popcorn poured over the rims of the kettle.

“Ooooh, that’s clever”, Gaster gasped. “Grillby, look! There has to be a heating element under the kettle, so as the popcorn pops, it falls of, and doesn’t get burned! And thanks to the glass one can always see just how much popcorn there is! That’s really good design-!”

“You’re such a nerd.” Grillby smiled. It was almost like Gaster’s eye lights started to sparkle when he got excited.

“Two tickets, please. And a batch of popcorn!” Gaster asked as they got to the counter. They paid, and Grillby took the tickets, and Gaster the popcorn.

“Oh, it’s warm!” Gaster was almost giddy as they waited by the theatre door.

“Hey”, Grillby said, wrapping his arms around Gaster from behind. “I’m warm, too.”

“Mmm. Yes. Yes you are”, Gaster said as he turned his head to nuzzle Grillby’s cheek.

Grillby snatched a handful of popcorn while Gaster was distracted.

“Hmm. Could use a bit more salt”, Grillby pondered.

“Oh? Maybe I should have a taste too?”

Gaster leaned in to steal a kiss. Grillby flared and sparked.

Gaster pulled away, a faint blush on his cheekbones.

“Mmm. I have no complaints”, he teased, popping a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

Then the doors opened, and the crowd filed in. The room was dimly lit.

“Maybe we should sit somewhere in the back?” Grillby suggested. He could only burn so low, and he didn’t want to annoy the other moviegoers with his light.

So the pair settled on the plush, red seats on the back row. Grillby tried to dim his flame as far as it went. Gaster leaned his skull on Grillby’s shoulder. Grillby wrapped an arm around Gaster as the movie began.


	18. Sans, Papyrus and Gaster Blasters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "What was it like when Sans and/or Pappy first summoned their gaster blasters? Was it during a magic training lesson or completely by accident? How did Gaster react?"
> 
>  
> 
> Headcanon time: I don’t think the blasters are an intuitive attack, it’s something that has to be specifically learned. And I think Gaster associates them pretty heavily with the war, so I don’t think he’d show them voluntarily. So there is A LOT of preamble here :P  
> This is like, twice my normal aimed length? This was a fruitful prompt ^^

“Okay, boys”, Gaster said. “This is hydrogen peroxide, and this-” He gestured to the pale yellow powdery substance in the test tube. “-is luminol. What do you think will happen when we mix them?”

“…the acid will dissolve it?”  Sans guessed, an expression of intense concentration on his young face.

Gaster grinned.

“Let’s see then!”

He dunked the powder into the Erlenmeyer flask. The liquid began to glow with a blue light.

“OOOH!”

“Pretty cool, huh?” Gaster smiled at the astonished faces of his sons. “It’s called chemiluminescence. It is the reason why the Waterfall crystals glow!  In the presence of a suitable catalyst-”

“Doctor Gaster!” the new intern slammed the laboratory door open. “Doctor Gaster-! I’m sorry- it’s an emergency-!”

“What happened?” Gaster’s face became serious.

“Chlorine gas-! The door, it, it sealed shut to keep the gas in- _there are people still inside-!_ ”

 

They all rushed down the hallway. There were some people trying to get the door open, while nervous shouting rang from the other side.

“Everyone, stand back!” Gaster shouted over the noise. “Clear the doorway, quickly!”

“Clear!” came a muffled voice from behind the door.

_Alright, Gaster. It’s like riding a bicycle._

He tapped into his magic, pried it into the form of the skull. He blocked out the startled gasps, the shouting, everything, focusing only on the blaster and the energy gathering in its maw.

He aimed for the lock and fired.

 

 

Gaster was sitting on the couch at home, eyes closed. He had been planning to fill out his Sudoku book a little further, but had ended up just slouching against the backrest, body slack.

It had been a long, _long_ day.

“dad?”

“Hmm?” He cracked open an eye socket. Both Sans and Papyrus were standing in front of him, restless smiles on their faces.

“about what happened today…”

Gaster sighed. “I’m sorry. You must have been rattled. I should have told you to wait in my laboratory-”

“NO NO, IT’S NOT ABOUT THAT! OKAY, WE WERE A LITTLE BONETROUSLED, BUT WE WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE SKULL YOU MADE.”

“The blaster?” Gaster asked.

“yeah! the blaster!”

“IT WAS SO COOL-!”

“you were like ‘clear the way!’ and then just-!”

“IT WAS SO BIG-!”

“grrrr-whoooom!”

“AND THE JAWS AND THE TEETH AND THE EYE SOCKETS-!”

“grapa-chowww-!”

“ _Boys._ ” Gaster interrupted the excited rant.

“CAN WE DO THAT!?”

“can you teach us to do that!?”

Gaster felt something icy trail along his spine. _No_ , he wanted to say. _No, never, end of discussion._

He sighed.

“Sans, Papyrus, sit down with me.”

His sons settled on the couch on either side of him.

“Why are our attacks shaped like bones?” he asked, in the tone he had used for teaching many times.

“BECAUSE WE’RE SKELETONS.”

“Yes, but go in more detail.”

“a monster’s attacks reflects their magic. this affects the form, and the kind of magic a monster is capable of,” Sans recited.

“Is it right to call them attacks?”

“IT DEPENDS ON THE INTENT BEHIND THEM. MAGIC IS USED FOR ALL SORTS OF THINGS, NOT JUST FIGHTING. FIRE MAGIC CAN BE USED FOR COOKING OR WARMTH, OR BONES CAN BE USED TO MAKE A LADDER. BULLET PATTERNS ARE A FORM OF SELF-EXPRESSION, LIKE DRAWINGS.”

“why are we going over this? you told us this stuff, like, back when we first started learning how to make attacks.” Sans sounded a bit annoyed.

“Because it is important that you remember it. The blasters are not a natural attack like the bones we summon. It’s something I taught myself to do in the war.” Gaster took a deep breath.

“Magic is a knife. It can be a kitchen knife to cut bread, the scalpel of a doctor, or a tool of a woodcarver. Or the dagger of a solder. The blasters aren’t like that. They are not a natural part of you, or a tool, or something to be used to build something more. They are a weapon. They are pain, and destruction, and death.”

A sombre silence filled the room.

“did… did you use them to… to fight in the war?” Sans’s voice was quiet. The unspoken _kill_ hang in the air.

“I did.”

“BUT… YOU DIDN’T USE THEM TO FIGHT TODAY”, Papyrus said slowly. “YOU RESCUED ALL THOSE PEOPLE! NO-ONE GOT HURT.”

“Yes. But that doesn’t change what the blasters are. A sword can be used to draw a line in sand, but it doesn’t make it any less of a sword.”

Gaster looked out the window. There was a soft snowfall outside. Beyond that snow and those trees was the door to the Ruins.

And any day, it was possible that another human walked out of those doors. Scared and hurt, maybe.

Or covered in dust.

And Gaster would not be there to protect his sons. Not forever.

Gaster took a deep breath.

“If…” he swallowed. “if you want, I will teach you how to summon your own blasters. But never forget what they are. And they are not to be used in anything less than a life-or-death situation. Do you understand?”

 

The wooden crate broke into splinters as the blaster beam hit it, leaving a spray of charred pieces behind. There was excited shouting as his sons praised and encouraged each other.

Gaster wrapped his arms around himself, slowly breathing in the cool air of their makeshift training ground, trying to fight back the feeling of cold, empty nausea.

He quietly prayed that the day Sans or Papyrus needed to fire a blaster would never come.


	19. Gaster & Frisk interactions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked:  
> "For a drabble prompt: What about some Gaster and Frisk interactions? I think Gaster would make best grandpa"

Gaster bent down to tie the laces of his ice skates.

“FATHER! HURRY UP!” Papyrus called, already on the ice.

“Coming, coming!” he answered, doing one last double bow the make sure the excess string was secure.

Papyrus was already racing laps around the rig when Gaster stepped in the ice. Frisk was still near the gate, looking rather wobbly, now that he thought about it. The child was doing a weird stepping motion, not really getting any momentum, until the tip of their ice skate dug into the ice, and they promptly fell on their face.

Gaster glided next to Frisk.

“Are you alright?”

Frisk nodded, getting back on their feet, and beginning to do the stepping motion again.

“Frisk?”

The child turned their attention to him.

“Do you not know how to ice skate?”

Frisk hesitated a moment, and then shook their head.

“Would you like for me to teach you?”

They nodded vigorously, a hint of a smile brightening their neutral expression.

“Alright. First thing to know about ice skating: when you fall, try to fall on your butt. It has a larger surface area, and all your squishy human stuff makes the landing much softer. Now then, the basic kick begins with putting your legs in a T-pose, like so-!”

 

 

A flash of light, the roar of thunder. Gaster tried to focus on his breathing.

Papyrus was having a movie night with Undyne and Alphys, Toriel and Sans were in their PTA meetings, and Gaster was lying on his bed, wishing for the sweet release of death.

The Void had left its scars, that much was a given, but the hypersensitivity was not something he had expected. Most days he was fine with the world, with the noise and the smells and the lights. But storms still made him feel like his skull was splitting in half. The sound of rain beating on the window glass, the flashes of lighting, the darkness, the unpredictability, _the smells_ \- It was a torment.

There was a knock on the door, and Frisk walked in some board game under their arm.

_Can play with me?_ They signed.

“Ask Sans when he get’s home”, Gaster answered in a clipped tone. Couldn’t the child just let him suffer alone!?

Frisk tilted their head. They then promptly walked off. Good.

A flash of light, the roar of thunder. Gaster groaned, trying to push his head further into his pillow.

The sound of steps returned, and Frisk was by the bedside before Gaster could shoo them off. They had a glass of juice and headphones in their hands.

“I _really_ don’t want to listen to music now”, Gaster said tiredly.

Frisk shook their head.

_To cancel the noise,_ they signed.

After a small pause, Gaster took the headphones, and put them on. They didn’t block the sound of rain entirely, but they did cut the edge off.

_Thank you,_ Gaster signed.

 

 

Gaster walked in the kitchen, dirty coffee cup in hand. He really should stop hoarding these like this-

The child was standing there, in the middle of the room, knife in hand, _smiling, eyes red as they sliced Sans across the chest, smiling as Papyrus’s head fell on the snow, smiling, covered in dust-_

The cup fell on the floor with a clank as Gaster grasped for his magic-

_Your mug! Good that it didn’t break!_ Frisk signed, stepping forward to pick it up.

Gaster’s magic dissipated, he made it dissipate, fighting the jittery feeling down.

“Whatcha doing with that knife, kiddo?” he asked, trying his best to keep his voice normal.

_Mom asked for me to peel the pomegranate for the salad, but I don’t know how!_ They tilted their head. _Could you help me?_

“…Sure, Frisk”, Gaster said slowly, taking the knife from the child. “I’ll show you. Pomegranates are pretty tricky, actually-”


	20. Slavery AU: Gaster teaches Grillby to read and write

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> profoundlytenaciousgalaxy asked:  
> "I see the drabble prompt is open. In the story, The Auction, I wanted to read about Gaster teaching Grillby how to read and write, or maybe hire a tutor to teach him when he's not doing house work."
> 
> Ha. Grillby isn’t getting a tutor, the poor bean is 80 % anxiety and 20 % confused feelings, Gaster ain’t risking anyone else messing him up any further :D
> 
> [The Auction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13897968), for those who want to know what’s going on. Also let’s mention it here since it’s not obviously established: in the AU electricity isn’t a household thing, which is why Grillby is using an old-timey clothes iron.

Grillby was ironing when Gaster knocked on the door. Grillby liked ironing. A lot of regular chores had something to do with water or wet things, and as sturdy as the rubber gloves Gaster had gotten for him were, he was always a bit nervous. Ironing was very dry. But the best part was that he could heat up the slugs in his hand instead of using the stove, which saved on gas. It made him feel useful.

Grillby also liked that Gaster always knocked before he came in. He had thought it was weird at first, he still did, it was Gaster’s house after all. But he appreciated the little forewarning.

“Grillby? Are you in the middle of something?”

“Just finishing up ironing, sir”, he answered.

“Excellent. When you’re done, come to my office. It’s high time we started your lessons.”

Grillby almost dropped the slug iron. Lessons? About what? Was he going to be punished, what for, what did he do!? Was this about the vase he broke yesterday, Gaster had said it had been fine, but-!?

 

Grillby felt anxiety churning in his flame as he walked with a brisk pace to Gaster’s office. He wasn’t about to keep Gaster waiting. Grillby knew what happened to thralls that kept their owners waiting.

He knocked.

“Come in!”

Whatever Grillby was expecting, this wasn’t it. Gaster’s desk that was usually covered with books and papers and prototypes had been cleared, at least halfway, leaving wide-open space on the table. Normally Gaster wiped the blackboard only enough to have a bit more room for his new scribbles, now it was completely blank.

“Sit.” Gaster nodded toward his desk chair. Grillby obeyed.

“These are for you”, Gaster said, pushing a small pile on the table towards Grillby. There was a pencil case, a notebook, and a thin book with three big letters and a picture of a rooster on the cover.

Grillby carefully reached for the book, looking at it. He opened it. On the corner of each page as a big letter, and next to a picture a bit of text, some letters in red ink. He noticed that the red letters were the same as the big letter in the corner.

“That’s your alphabet book.”

Grillby blinked in confusion.

“With all due respect, sir, I don’t understand. What is this about?” he asked quietly.

Gaster smiled. Gaster had these odd, soft smiles.

“Well, your main duty will be to assist me on the construction site of the Core, remember? You’re not going to be much use taking readings if you can’t read.

Grillby took the words in. Was this really happening?

“…You’re going to teach me to read? Sir.”

“Indeed. And I expect you to work very hard to learn.”

Gaster turned to wards the blackboard.

“Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? This is _A_. As in, _a_ n _a_ pple. _A_ c _a_ rt.”

“…A sp _a_ rk?”

“Yes, exactly! Very good, Grillby-”

 

“…and the engine consumes about fifteen litres per kilometre.”

The chalk clicked on the blackboard as Grillby wrote what Gaster dictated: _and the engine consumes about fif_ \- he stopped, and quickly erased the last few letters. _15 L/km._ He put the chalk down, and turned to look at Gaster.

Gaster had an intent look on his face as he checked the blackboard. Then he smiled, and pulled a small noisemaker from his pocket.

“Congratulations on passing your final exam, Grillby!” The noisemaker gave a cheerful honk as Gaster blew in it.

“Final?” Grillby asked.

Gaster nodded.

“So we wont have any more lessens then?” Grillby hadn’t expected to sound as sad as he did.

“I’m afraid not. A shame, really. This was fun, reminded me a bit of my university days when I was a teacher’s assistant. Got to help the first-years with their exercise classes. Good times, good times.”

“…can I keep my notebook?”

Gaster gave that sort of a startled blink.

“Of course! And just tell me if you need a new one, or new pencils!” Gaster smiled. “It’s only good if you practice you penmanship. And feel free to help yourself the books in the library.”

Grillby gasped. “Really? Any of them?”

“As many as you like”, Gaster said in a warm voice. “It’ll be good to improve your reading speed. Just don’t take the science books out of the library, I might need them.”

“You’ve done a very good job. Well done”, he continued.

Grillby smiled. It felt so nice when Gaster complimented him. He didn’t think anyone else ever had.

“Thank you, sir.”

“You know”, Gaster said as he began to wipe the blackboard clean, “You don’t have to call me ‘sir’. I since I do have an actual name.”

Grillby felt wave of confusion, floundering on what Gaster meant. He was a thrall, a thrall couldn’t be disrespectful to his owner.

“Very well, doctor Gaster”, he said. Yeah, that seemed like a good call.

Gaster laughed. It always sounded so strange, so pretty when Gaster laughed. It caused an odd, giddy rush for Grillby. Like pleasant knot twisting in his stomach.

“Always so formal”, Gaster sighed, smiling that odd, soft smile.


	21. Gaster expecting babies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titaneater1 over on the comments requested “Pregnant Gaster????? Pls” for drabbles buuuuut I don’t want to venture too far off my headcanon continuity, so ya’ll getting Gaster expecting, alright?
> 
> In my headcanon skeleton physiology is very flexible as far as magic additions go, but I couldn't think of a sensible point in the timeline for Gaster to be preggers. Also wasn't feeling like making a grillster fanchild. So test tube science babies it is!

Few quick button presses, and the monitor came to life. Gaster scribbled on his clipboard. The readings were normal, nothing that would raise any alerts. Good. He then went to the computer, putting in the numbers, and the machine did its calculations quickly. With practiced ease Gaster began to mix the ingredients, rationed carefully as the computer had calculated. Calcium, protein, a little more sugar than usually.

The baby must have been active.

The concoction ready, a smile on his face, Gaster walked to the incubation tank.

“Hi there, sweetheart. Feeling hungry?”

There, floating in the thick suspension solution, curled into a little bundle of mostly formed bones. The eye sockets were still shut, but the legs were kicking.

Gaster opened a small hatch at the base of the incubation tank, and poured the nutrient solution in.

“There we go”, he said as he closed the hatch.

Gaster knelt on the floor, in front of the tank. He liked to keep the room dim, to simulate the conditions of a regular skeleton pregnancy. But sometimes it was nice to keep the lights on, and just watch as the baby moved.

It was kicking again, slowly swimming towards the top of the tanks.

“Now now, get back here.”

Gaster placed his hand on the glass, warmed by the carefully heated suspension solution, and reached for the Soul of the baby with his magic.

The magic took hold, encasing the small Soul with a blue. The kicking stopped. Gaster brought the baby back to the centre of the tank.

“Eager to get out, aren’t you, sweetheart?”

Gaster didn’t really need to, but he kept the hold of the Soul. Just a gentle hold. He liked to think that it calmed the baby. There was a closeness to it, feeling the life, the softly beating Soul against his magic.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait a little longer. Just a few more months, I promise.”

Finally, Gaster got up from the floor, and went to the second suspension tank. Again, he took the numbers, fed them to the computer, made the nutrient solution.

This baby was a little smaller than the other. The skull was bigger, rounder, as were the closed eye sockets. There might have been a small twitch here and there, but it wasn’t kicking.

Again, Gaster sat on the floor. His smile had dropped.

He once again placed his hand on the glass, carefully grabbing hold of the baby’s Soul with blue.

He could feel it.

He could feel how much weaker, how much more fragile this Soul was.

“You know”, he began. “I have a such plans for you two. I have an office room at home. Could be a nursery. And I’m sure your sibling over there is very excited to meet you. A sibling, now isn’t that nice? You aren’t even born yet, and you already have a friend to play with. You have such wonderful things ahead of you.”

Gaster placed his forehead on the glass.

“And all you have to do, is make it.”

1 HP. 1 ATK. 1 DEF.

“Can you do that for me?” Gaster quietly pleaded.

“Please?”


	22. Grillby playing with an Ouija board

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> silverskye13 asked:  
> "Heyah! So you tagged me in that good spooky post and it got me thinking. Wanna try your hand as the bois being haunted? Either one haunting the other or both being haunted by a thing? Malicious or maybe not so much. Up to you! Ever since i read that spooky curse-maker from your knights story ive kinda wanted to see your take on something creepy / unsettling. And whether ya do the prompt or not - thank you! ^_^ "
> 
>  
> 
> Mmmmmm I don’t think the drabble format really works for horror kinda stuff. There’s not enough time for the preamble, the buildup, and that’s like 75 % of what makes the spooks spooky.
> 
> Well, here’s something, anyway. Ventured a bit off the haunting theme, but oh well. At least it ended up way too long again.

Grillby placed the planchette over the G, and rested his fingertips on the heart-shaped piece of wood, just like the instructions said.

Then again, the instructions also said not to play alone. But he didn’t have much choice, did he?

“Spirit from beyond this world, I call upon you”, he said quietly.

“Are… are you there?”

First there was nothing other than the quiet crackle of his fire, and the shadows shifting as his flame flickered.

Then.

Slowly, infinitely slowly, his shaking fingers felt a tug. His hands followed, and the planchette moved.

HELLO, the board announced.

Grillby swallowed dry, trying to keep himself calm. Spelling letters, that’s the worst that could happen. And he could always say goodbye.

Grillby moved the planchette back over G.

“Are you the same spirit I talked with at the party?”

The piece of wood remained still.

“It was a few weeks ago? There was a group of us, using this board, and since then- Have you- Are you the one who’s been-”

The feeling of eyes on his back. Shadows at the corner of his eyes, gone as fast as he turned to look. Cold breaths against his cheek in rooms with no draft.

“Have you been following me?”

And the planchette tugged again. Agonizingly slowly, it moved on YES.

The shadows of the room looked darker now, Grillby noticed. The air felt colder, too. But he needed to keep going. He needed to know.

“Why?”

The planchette began moving faster. Grillby thought he was getting the hang of this. Pushing like the tug guided. Reading what the board – what the _spirit_ – spelled out.

D A R L I N G.

“What?” Grillby breathed out.

“What- I- I don’t- I don’t _understand_.” His flame flickered, confused and distressed.

Under his fingers, the planchette began to move again, spelling four letters.

H E L P.

Grillby froze.

“’Help’? Help you what?”

For a moment, it felt as if the planchette vibrated. Then is glided over the board, fast, Grillby barely keeping up.

T O O S L O W.

A loud, sudden noise that made Grillby flinch. With a crackle of electricity, the radio had begun to hiss static. The numbers of the dials were changing wildly, as the radio switched form station to station, never once stopping, not for a second.

“T-he bo-o-oar-d. S-s-s-pe-l-llin-g i-s to-o sl-o-o-ow”, the radio stuttered.

_A spirit just possessed my radio_ , Grillby though dumbfounded. _So it can do more than just spell letters_ , a more sinister voice in his head continued.

“H-h-h-h-hel-p-”

“No. Nope. Not happening.” Grillby interrupted, surprised that his voice wasn’t shaking, even if he felt petrified. “Get out of my radio, and get out of my house. And leave me alone.”

He might be willing to try to contact a spirit, but he was not going to mess with something that he couldn’t control to at least _some_ degree.

“Bu-t y-y-y-you pr-om-m-i-s-ed.”

With another loud crackle of electricity, the TV turned on. The picture on the screen was a mess of glitches, but Grillby could recognise his own face looking back at him.

“Hey, don’t worry. It’s gonna be okay”, the Grillby on the screen said with a muffled voice, smiling softly.

The screen glitched, and now the background was different. There was himself again, wearing his old armour from the war. He was again looking at the camera, with a stern, but reassuring expression.

“Just stay behind me. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you, I promise.”

The screen glitched again, and Grillby recognized his old bedroom in Snowdin. He was once again in the middle of the shot, his gaze gentle.

“I love you”, he whispered.

A crackle, a bang, and the screen _shattered_.

Grillby yelped as he tried to back away from the broken glass.

“None- none of that happened”, he said slowly, shaking his head. “I’ve- I’ve never-”

He felt a lump in his throat.

“Y-you p-romis-ed m-me for-ev-er, Gr-i-ll-by”, the radio hissed. “Yo-o-u p-p-pro-mis-s-ed an-n-nd y-o-u-u f-f-or-go-t.”

The volume of the radio was climbing louder and louder.

“Y-ou fo-r-g-g-ot yo-u for-go-o-t _y-yo-u f-o-orgot_ Y-O-U FOR-GOT-”

“Stop, stop it!” Grillby shouted, _pleaded_ , clamouring to his feet, and grabbing the radio. He clawed the hatch in the back open, and tore the batteries out.

The radio fell silent.

Grillby’s laboured breathing was the only sound in the room.

Then, the quiet scratching of wood moving on wood.

He turned to look at the Ouija board on the floor. The planchette was moving, all by itself, save for the faintest blue glow around it.

H E L P. P L E A S E.

“How?” Grillby asked, the word halfway a sob.

The planchette was showed, just a few letters width, and the blue glow around it stuttered.

Grillby kneeled by the board again, placing his fingers on the planchette.

“You’re running out of energy, aren’t you?” he asked quietly.

The planchette didn’t move.

“Tell me how to help you.”

There was the tug again, just the faintest sensation by his fingertips.

S A N S, the board spelled out.

“ _Sans_? I don’t-” Grillby began. But as the planchette reached the last S, the air shifted. The shadows were less dark, the room no longer cold.

“You’re gone, huh.”

Only silence answered him.

Grillby placed his hand on the planchette, and slid it on GOODBYE.


	23. "Your stray red item turned my whites pink." grillster edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked:  
> "Ahaha i just read 35 and if you feel up to it i think itd be pretty fun to see written for grillster, since grillby has the white shirt at the bar XD"
> 
> 035: "Your stray red item turned my whites pink.“
> 
> This came out cutesy AF

“Me and my darling, we are lovers, we share our bed and we share our choooooores”, Gaster sang while he carried the laundry basket, making the melody up as he went.

“He does the cooking, I wash the dishes, I wipe the surfaces and he sweeps the floooooors!” He began to sort the clothing, aaah, they were still warm from the dryer.

One sock, two sock, red sock, blue sock! His grey shirt, Grillby’s pink shirt, one more shirt and two pairs of socks!

“He does the vacuuming ‘cause I hate the soooooound! Oh, my darling’s the sweetest guy aroooooound-”

_Since when did Grillby have a pink shirt._

Gaster backtracked, and picked the offending shirt back up. Yep, it was one of Grillby’s white ones, now evenly dyed a soft pastel pink.

“Fuuuuuuck-”

 

“Grillby?” Gaster called, peeking into the kitchen.

“Mhmm?” Grillby asked, putting a casserole into the oven.

“We may have to rethink our chore distribution.” Gaster held up the now-pink shirt for Grillby to see.

Grillby blinked, flame flickering in surprise.

“I’m sorry”, Gaster apologized. “It got in with some colours, and there were red’s…”

Grillby walked over to Gaster, and took the shirt from him. He inspected the cloth carefully, thumbing the fabric.

“I’m really, really sorry.” Gaster felt awful. He knew that Grillby had high standards when it came to clothes, and was very careful when he put together his outfits. It was hard to find good clothes underground, and now Gaster had ruined something that belonged to Grillby!

Grillby walked out of the kitchen shirt in hand, waving for Gaster to follow. He headed straight to the bedroom.

He placed the shirt on the bed. Then he went to the closet, rummaged around a bit. When he resurfaced, he was holding a blue vest and a purple bowtie, which he placed on the shirt in a mock-up of how the ensemble would be worn.

“Not that bad of a palette, don’t you think?” Grillby said. “Together with orange fire, it’s kind of a sunset colour scheme.”

“You’re not mad?” Gaster asked.

Grillby wrapped his arms around the other.

“I have plenty of white shirts, Gaster. And who knows? Maybe my work outfit could use some variety.”

Gaster sighed with relief, nuzzling the side of Grillby’s face.

_You really are the sweetest guy around._


	24. "I jokingly told you that the only way I’d marry you was if you did this weird outlandish thing, and you actually did it, and I’m kind of charmed." Grillster edition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked:  
> Can you do this one for Grillster? :D i just found it so funny. Thank you! 056: "I jokingly told you that the only way I’d marry you was if you did this weird outlandish thing, and you actually did it, and I’m kind of charmed."
> 
>  
> 
> So the prompt got kinda mangled to get it to work with the timeline and characterisations and I couldn’t really think of any fun outlandish thing but here we go anyway

 Grillby stirred the pot, absentmindedly listening the Gaster and Gerson banter by the other side of the campfire.

“Aaaaaand is this your card?” Gaster asked triumphantly, holding up the queen of hearts.

Gerson nodded, grinning.

“I don’t know how you pull these off, lad.”

“Sorcery”, Gaster said dramatically, waving his hands for effect.

“Food’s done”, Grillby interjected quietly, beginning to scoop the broth into bowls.

Gerson took a gulp, smacking his mouth.

“Didya do something with the spices? This tastes different than usual.”

Grillby nodded, handing Gaster a bowl.

“…Is it any good?” he asked, suddenly insecure.

“Real good.” Gerson grinned. “Maybe we ought to have you experiment more often, right doc?”

Gaster sipped the broth, his eye socket’s going wide.

“Will you marry me?”

“…No?” Grillby said, his flame flickering with confusion.

“This is _amazing_ ”, Gaster said, looking at the bowl with awe. “I could eat this every day-”

Gaster began to wolf down the broth.

“Can monster’s and elementals just marry regularly though? Are there some rules?” he managed to ask between gulps.

“By ancient law”, Gerson began sagely. “In order for a monster and elemental to be wed, the monster first has to defeat the elemental in single combat.”

“Wait, really?” Grillby blurted out.

Gerson laughed a hearty “wahaha!” while Gaster muttered something about elementals not being treated like proper people in the first place.

 

 

Grillby was reading a book (there were _so many_ new books on the Surface! In mint condition!) when Gaster practically kicked his door open.

“Grillby! I hereby challenge you to a gentlemanly duel!”

Grillby raised a brow.

“…What’s this about?”

“Proving a point to some naysayers”, Gaster said, cracking his knuckles. He had that kind of glint in his eyes, the kind where Grillby knew that Gaster had already decided the outcome of the conversation.

“Fine, I’ll spar with you”, Grillby sighed.

 

“So, old rules!” Gaster exclaimed as they stepped outside, and Gaster began to draw the sparring circle on the ground. “The one to either loose a quarter of HP or get knocked out of the ring looses!”

They both settled in the middle of the ring.

“Ready, darling?” Gaster grinned.

“Ready-”

And Gaster had already summoned a flurry of bone attacks, flying towards Grillby.

And they fought, just like old times. Gaster with brittle but fast bone attacks, Grillby with waves and lashes of fire. Gaster dancing out of the way of whatever Grillby threw at him, Grillby tanking the hits he couldn’t dodge.

Gaster had been practicing, Grillby realized. He wondered if the other had been training with Papyrus. But it wasn’t like Grillby was too rusty himself-

A _ting!_ as Grillby’s Soul was encapsulated in blue magic, and all too late he realized that he had been lured too close to the edge of the ring, and that Gaster was running straight towards him-!

The combined force of blue magic and Gaster crashing into him were enough to knock him on his back, and out of the ring, Gaster landing on top of him. They both lay there, panting with exhaustion.

“I win”, Gaster gasped.

“We both went out of the ring.”

“Technically, you were out first.” Gaster grinned. “I win.”

Grillby sighed. “Fine. You win.”

“So this counts as me defeating you?”

Grillby frowned. “…Yes? Gaster, where are you going with this?”

Gaster dug a small box out of his pocket, not making the slightest attempt to remove himself from on top of Grillby.

“Remember that one time _forever_ ago during the war when you made broth and it was so good and I asked you to marry me as a humorous exaggeration and Gerson joked that-”

“’In order for a monster and elemental to be wed, the monster first has to defeat the elemental in single combat.’” Grillby recited.

“So”, Gaster began as he popped the small box open, revealing a ring inside. “How about it?”

Grillby stared in a stunned silence, a sort of desperately confused look on his face.

“Gaster, I swear, this is the most _obscure_ proposal you could have thought of-!”

 


	25. An accident at the lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titaneater1 from the comments prompted:  
> "Science experiment gone wrong? Gaster consults Grillby or smth"
> 
> The order of events seems to have reversed :P

Grillby knocked, then entered the room before being called in. Gaster was expecting him, after all.

“Hello, darling! Glad you could make it”, Gaster greeted, delighted, a clipboard in hand. He was standing in front of a row of large glass domes, all empty and identical save for little numbered labels, and small thermometers propped inside.

“What’s all this about?” Grillby asked, gesturing towards the glass domes.

“Just some research on gas flammability”, Gaster smiled. “I’m trying to figure out characteristics of fire burning in different air mixtures.”

“Air mixtures?” Grillby asked, tilting his head. “Isn’t air, just… Air?”

“Actually, what we generally call ‘air’ is a soup of different chemical elements, mostly nitrogen and oxygen”, Gaster explained. “Which is why I asked you here: Most of this stuff won’t ignite from just a spark, and using a Bunsen burner would contaminate the air sample with hydrocarbon-”

“So you want me to make a flame inside the dome with magic?” Grillby asked.

“Exactly!” Gaster grinned.

“I’ve prepared the mixtures already, all that’s missing is a flame. Just a small one, like one of a candle. Let it burn as it will one it’s ignited, don’t try to force it bigger of smaller. And try to make it next to the thermometer”, Gaster instructed, becoming Grillby to the glass domes.

So Grillby did. The first flame burned exactly like his fire usually did, and Gaster carefully marked down its height and temperature on his clipboard. The second burned low, Grillby could feel that it was on the verge of snuffing itself out, which Gaster also marked down once Grillby mentioned it. The third one-

Grillby barely registered as the fire expanded, greedily filling up the entire dome, the sound of glass shattering. By instinct he grabbed Gaster, pushing him on the floor, shielding him with his own body as the wave of fire crashed over them with a ravenous _FHOUUUMMM._

It was all over as quickly as it had begun.

Forcing his breathing to steady, Grillby took count of his surroundings. In his arms, with a blank stare forward, Gaster was shaking so hard he rattled. Grillby’s glasses had fallen off. He could feel the back of his shirt burning, and he snuffed it out with magic. The floor was littered with shards.

Grillby carefully extracted himself from on top of Gaster, and picked up his glasses.

And the laboratory was, thankfully, mostly untouched. The fireball must have run out of steam before it could reach anything flammable. There was a nasty looking black stain on the ceiling, and shards of the glass dome on the floor, but those could be cleaned up.

“Are you alright?” Grillby asked.

“…I hit my skull on the floor”, Gaster said weakly, picking himself up from the floor. Then he gave a nervous, jittery laugh. “Note to self: do small scale experiments first! In small, controlled environments!”

The laugh deteriorated into a sob, Gaster’s grin became a grimace.

“ _Fuck_ -”

“Okay, shh, shh”, Grillby soothed, pulling Gaster into a hug. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.”

And Grillby held Gaster as he cried out his fright into what was left of Grillby’s shirt.


	26. “You can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did!” feat. Grillster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked:  
> "prompt list meme: 13, grillster (thank you!!!)"
> 
>  
> 
> 13: “You can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did!”
> 
> Yeah this one kinda ran away from me and did it’s own thing??? Kinda sorta continuation to the “I thought I lost you” -drabble, Ch. 14 for those who want a refresher.
> 
> Also I have this headcanon that Gaster had a crossbow in the war. Not really to fight with it, more as an engineering project for evenings.

Gaster geared up, Gaster went to battle, Gaster nearly died. Crick, crack, his skull broken in half like an eggshell, almost, almost.

And in the heat of battle (mostly due to being knocked out by a mage) Grillby lost Gaster. Grillby though Gaster dead. That’s what happens when crick, crack, you skull is broken in half like an eggshell.

Grillby mourned, Grillby cried. When it turned out that Gaster was, in fact, not dead, Grillby cried even more.

Gaster, he got picked up by another legion when they were raking together their wounded, you see. And when the two pieces of army were poured together in one big camp, Gaster was with them. Gaster asked for Grillby, and the word got around, and Grillby heard, and Grillby came to the infirmary, and Grillby cried and cried and cried.

Gaster didn’t cry. Gaster was rather preoccupied with drifting in and out of consciousness, you see. Having your skull broken in half like and egg shell, _crick, crack_ , is nasty business, even if in this case it didn’t lead to death.

And with time and rest and many bowls of soup Grillby spoon-fed Gaster when he was too weak to eat himself, Gaster recovered. And eventually he was on his feet again, pushing the bandages wrapped around his head away from his eyes so that he could see, walking and talking and tinkering with his crossbow.

Grillby, well, to Grillby this felt very very weird. Weird to see the man who less than a few month ago had been hanging on to his very life by a thread, the man who could barely manage the strength to speak, the man who’d fought and fallen and gotten his skull broken in half like an eggshell, CRICK, CRACK-

And now he was walking around and talking cheerfully and tinkering with his ever-evolving monstrosity of a crossbow like nothing had happened.

“Once I replace the limb with something more bendy, this baby will shoot through plate armour, you’ll see!” Gaster said one night, flexing small branches from various trees, trying to get a feel for the wood.

“You going to give it to one of the archers to test?” Grillby asked.

“What, no! I’ve got to test this myself! And even if this doesn’t shoot through armour, it’s not like all the humans will be wearing any”, Gaster explained.

Grillby froze.

“You’re not going back to the front.” The words were like stones, cool and certain and unyielding.

“Of course I am, Grillby”, Gaster said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, the only uncertain thing being why Grillby would ever say otherwise.

“No, you’re _not_ ”, Grillby said, firm, insistent.

Gaster sighed. “They need _everyone_ out there, Grillby. Not just the strong ones.”

“You act like- The last time you were in battle you almost-”

And the word got stuck in Grillby’s throat. He didn’t want to say it, if he did, it might become true.

“And you act like I’m made of glass, all of a sudden!”

“You can’t keep pretending it didn’t happen, cause guess what? It did!” Grillby shouted, shouted loud to drown the _crick, crack_ ringing in his head.

“And I can’t-” The words became little more than a whisper, little more than a sob, and Grillby buried his face in his hands as his shoulders shook.

“I can’t lose you again.”

And Gaster was in front of him, gently gripping Grillby’s wrists, and pulling them away from his face.

“I can’t”, Grillby sobbed.

Gaster, he didn’t say anything. There was nothing for him to say. Promises that everything would be just fine weren’t in his power to keep.

But Gaster wrapped his arms around Grillby, holding him.

And Gaster’s soft “shh, shh, shh”, didn’t make the crick, crack ringing in Grillby’s head go away, but it helped.


	27. "A kiss to shut them up" of course it's Grillster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sereino asked:  
> For the kiss prompts; Grillster - 7?
> 
> Which was, as the title says, “A kiss to shut them up”

Everything was nice and soft and absolutely perfect. Gaster breathed in Grillby’s smoky scent, snuggling even closer to the warm body next to him.

Gentle fingers trailed along his skull. Gaster gave a content sigh as the drowsiness of sleep slowly began to disappear from his bones.

“Good morning, sleepyhead”, came Grillby’s quiet voice, still husky like it was in the mornings.

Gaster murmured something like “Morning.”

“Do you think we should get up? Make some breakfast?”

“Noooo”, Gaster whined, burrowing his face into Grillby’s chest, wrapping his arms even tighter around the other’s body.

“Not even if I promise to make you coffee?” Grillby said in a singsong voice.

Gaster opened his eye sockets.

“I do like coffee.”

Grillby chuckled. The two of them untangled from each other, and Grillby left the bed. Gaster spent a few more stubborn moments enjoying the lingering warmth of the sheets, but he had to admit laying in bed wasn’t nearly as enjoyable without Grillby to cuddle.

So, he got up as well, heading to his designated drawer in Grillby’s closet. A fresh shirt, socks, now where did he leave his pants in the evening?

Gaster bent down to pull his socks on, hopped around on one foot to keep his balance. When he straightened his back, he found himself face to face with –himself.

Grillby had a large, full-length mirror in his bedroom (not surprising, Grillby took care to dress nicely). And now Gaster was looking his reflection up and down.

Narrow shoulders, spindly hands. His cracked skull to top it all off.

And behind him, picking out a shirt for the day, Grillby. Grillby’s body had always been the perfect blend of strong and soft. He was just toned enough to have that definition to his body that made him look strong, but not so much that he wasn’t cuddly any more. His waist, his shoulders, his jawline… It was almost like an artist had willingly decided to craft the epitome of masculine beauty out of fire.

Gaster looked back to himself, to his lanky frame and gangly limbs. He sighed.

“The mirror being mean to you again?”

Grillby was suddenly behind him, peering into the mirror.

“It’s just… we make an odd couple, don’t we? You’re- you’re _you_. You’re brave and strong, and-” Gaster gestured to Grillby’s image in the mirror. “ _All that_. And then there’s me. Looking like a fishbone with legs.”

Grillby rested his chin on Gaster’s shoulder.

“You know, while you might not like your body, I happen to like it very much”, Grillby said, almost conversationally. “I like your hands, I think they look very elegant. It’s cool to look at you doing things with them, like your knitting and such. Just moving them with finesse.”

Grillby laced their fingers together.

“I like how slender you are. It makes it easy to embrace you, and hold you close.”

He wrapped his arms around Gaster’s ribcage, pulling him near, so that his chest was touching Gaster’s back.

“I like your eyes”, he whispered next the where Gaster’s ear would be. “I love they way they sparkle like stars when you get excited, the was your eye sockets scrunch up when you laugh hard, the way you look at the world with wonder.”

Gaster turned in Grillby’s hold, to look directly at him.

_Scrawny. Ugly. Broken._

“But-”

Grillby kissed him before he could say anything else. A soft, long, adoring kiss.

“Hush”, Grillby murmured once they parted. “No matter what you or anyone else says, you’re beautiful to me.”


	28. Grillby finds out about Gaster's test tube babies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titaneater1 from the comments prompted:  
> "Continuation of Gaster expecting but with grillster mixed in??? It doesn’t really matter if Grillby finds out before or after their born"
> 
> Gnnn sorry 'bout this taking forever, life has been, well, life. But for that it's extra long! ^^

_Ring… Ring…_

“Oh, hi Gaster.”

“Hey.”

“…are you okay? You sound a bit-”

“I need you to come to the laboratory.”

“What?”

“I need you to come to the laboratory, Grillby. It’s- The thing is- I need you to come to the laboratory.”

“What, now?”

“Yeah.”

“ _Now_ now?”

“Yeah.”

“Gaster, are you okay-? Did something happen-?”

“No- well, yes, kinda- Listen-”

“You’re _really_ worrying me right now.”

“It’s- it’s nothing bad. But- Listen, it’ll be easier if you just come here. I’ll text you the elevator code, okay?”

“Gaster, what- Can you just tell me what this is about?”

“I’m sorry, I- Just come as quickly as you can, okay? I’ve- I’ve got to go now.”

“Gaster-”

He hung up and put the phone on the table. He brought his hands to rub his face, taking deep breaths.

_Alea iacta est._

 

 

Grillby walked through the corridor, worry churning in his stomach. Gaster had sounded so… _off_ in the phone. It had to be a work thing, didn’t it? Gaster wouldn’t have asked Grillby to come to the lab if it wasn’t a work thing. Right?

He knocked on the door at the end of the hallway.

“I’m coming!” Gaster’s voice sounded from the inside.

Grillby felt another icicle of worry in his stomach. Gaster usually just told him to come in.

“Hey”, Gaster greeted as he opened the door, glanced behind himself, and stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him, his hand still on the handle.

“Hi…” Grillby trailed off.

Gaster looked like he hadn’t slept for days. There were dark circles under his eye sockets, his lab coat was unbuttoned, his badge askew. There was something nervous and jittery about the way he held himself.

“Gaster-”

“Something pretty big happened”, Gaster interrupted, his eyes dashing, but never meeting Grillby’s. “It’s, it’s nothing bad, but- but it’s- _Please try not to freak out_.”

“Gaster, can you _please_ tell what this is about?” Grillby was surprised with how desperate he sounded.

Gaster finally looked him in the eye, and swallowed. “It’s easier if I just show you.”

He finally opened the door and led Grillby inside the room.

“So. There.”

Next to the wall, was-

Two large tanks with large metal bases, both filled with a faintly blue liquid. And inside each tank, a skeleton.

Teeny-tiny skeletons, with skulls too big and bones too thin, curled up, limbs twitching as the floated in the liquid. There were sensors attached to their skulls, a few went inside their ribcages.

Grillby could only stare, frozen in place.

“Please don’t freak out”, Gaster said with a weak voice.

A cascade of emotions hit Grillby: confusion, fear, disbelief. He felt nauseous all of a sudden.

“’Please don’t freak out’?” he repeated, his voice strained. “’Please don’t freak out’?! Gaster, you- you have-”

Grillby scrambled for purchase.

“Gaster, what the hell is going on? What have you _done_?”

Gaster flinched, wrapping his arms around himself, his eyes fixed on the floor.

“It stared twenty-two weeks ago”, he began. “I was trying to create Souls artificially, to break the barrier. DT extract, monster Soul gametes as a seed to grow around- It didn’t work, obviously. But something did happen. Something like monster Souls in the embryogenesis phase began to form. And I thought, what the heck. Let then sit in the incubation tanks. See how far this goes.”

“Twenty-two weeks”, Grillby repeated slowly. “You’ve been growing two fucking _baby Souls_ in your lab _for five months_ , and only _now_ you think to tell me-!?”

“For three months, I’ve been expecting for them to _break_.” Gaster’s voice was shaking, _he_ was shaking. “And two months fearing they will.”

Grillby looked at Gaster, pieces falling into place in his mind. How stressed Gaster has seemed for a while now, how distracted. Late nights at the bar spent staring into nothingness, idly stirring a cup of coffee that had long since grown cold. The sleepless nights and tired mornings.

And now, Gaster was standing in front of him, his arms wrapped tight around himself, hands gripping hard into his lab coat, shaking.

“Do you want to know why I waited twenty-two weeks? Because I waited. It’s been twenty two weeks _exactly_.” Gaster looked him in the eye, his expression pained. “Twenty-two weeks is when the fetus starts being a baby. Twenty-two weeks is when it’s considered a preterm birth and not a miscarriage. Twenty-two weeks is when a child is considered  _viable_.”

Gaster took a jittery step toward Grillby.

“If I took them out of their tanks today they’d have a 50 % chance of survival.” Gaster sounded more and more distraught with every word. “And after today, that chance is going to grow every day. And I will do whatever it takes to make them survive.”

For a moment, Gaster looked Grillby in the eye intently, as if he was searching for something, then turned his head away.

“I know we never talked about children”, he said quietly. “But I’m having them, I’ll fight tooth and nail to not let them- I wont ask you to be their father, but-”

Grillby pulled Gaster into his arms, holding him in a gentle but firm embrace. He could feel Gaster slowly wrapping his arms around Grillby, gripping shirt, burying his face in Grillby’s shoulder.

“I’m scared”, Gaster whispered.

Grillby still felt a whirlwind of emotions inside of him. But amidst his turmoil, one thought crystallized. _Gaster needed him right now_.

Grillby slowly parted from Gaster, taking his hand and leading him to the tanks. He placed his hand on the glass as looked closely at the little skeletons. They already looked a bit like Gaster. Grillby could recognize his fused jaw on one, a hint of his slender frame on the other.

“Have you thought about names yet?”


	29. Grillby meets baby Sans and Papyrus for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An unpromted drabble about Grillby meeting baby Sans and Papyrus for the first time because I had a hankering for it and there can never be enough cute baby bones content

Grillby’s Soul was beating loudly as he walked through the corridor. If it was due to excitement or nerves, he wasn’t sure.

It’s not every day you meet your lover’s children for the first time, after all.

Gaster had texted him a photo already. The babies had looked very cute, all swaddled next to each other on a pillow, eye sockets shut as they slept.

He knocked.

“Come in!” sounded Gaster’s voice.

Grillby entered the room. It was the break room next to Gaster’s private laboratory, and until Gaster took the babies home, it had been converted into a temporary nursery.

Gaster was by the kitchenette, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Hello, darling”, he greeted. Gaster looked tired, but happy.

“Hi”, Grillby answered. “How are things?”

“Good, good. I haven’t slept all that well, the boys don’t really have a concept of a day-night cycle yet, but, you know. We have a nap based system going on.” Gaster turned to look at two cardboard boxes that served as cribs.

“Do you want to meet them now?”

“Yes”, Grillby said intently.

Gaster gestured Grillby to follow, walking over to the cribs.

“Hi”, Gaster cooed. “Uncle Grillby is here to see you! Isn’t that exciting?”

Grillby peeked into the boxes.

The babies were wearing matching rompers. One was fast asleep, it seemed. The other had its eye sockets closed, but it was still moving its hands and legs around.

“They’re so small…”

“They’re the tiniest little baby bones.” Gaster reached into the crib and picked up the baby that was wiggling.

“So, this is Papyrus”, Gaster explained fondly. “He’s a bit more active than his brother, he’s an uppercaser so he screams more. But even when he’s crying he’s adorable.”

“Hi, Papyrus”, Grillby said softly as he reached to awkwardly touch the baby. The bone felts smooth under his fingers as he ran his thumb along the baby’s cheekbone.

“Stars, look at his fingers! They’re like twigs!”

Grillby moved his hand to the little half-closed fist and bend down to inspect it closer.

“How can a bone be so small-” Grillby gasped. The baby had gripped Grillby’s pointer finger.

“He’s giving you a little handshake!” Gaster said fondly.

“Hi…” Grillby breathed out, a wave of affection washing over him. Maybe because finally seeing Gaster’s child with his own eyes made it all feel so much more real, maybe because baby reacted to him. But nonetheless, he felt something warm and protective swelling inside of him.

“Can I see the other one too?” he asked eagerly.

Gaster smiled, placed Papyrus back in his crib and took the other baby in his arms.

“This is Sans”, Gaster whispered softly. “He’s a lazybones, all he does is eat and sleep! He’s a lowercaser, so he’s a bit calmer. Cries less too.”

If the baby woke up from being now cradled in his father’s arms, it didn’t show.

“Would you like to hold him?”

“What, me? Gaster, no. He’s too precious”, Grillby scrambled. “I don’t want to drop him-”

“Grillby, if there is anyone in this world I trust with my child, it’s you.” Gaster walked over to the sofa.

“Go on, sit down.”

Grillby did, and Gaster carefully instructed him how to hold the baby as he placed it in his arms.

Grillby looked at the shallowly breathing infant. It felt heavier than he had though. He tried to keep his flame from burning too hot, he didn’t want to make the baby uncomfortable.

“Hello there, Sans”, he said. “Sleepy little skeleton.”

And just like that, the baby blinked its eye sockets open. They were big, like Gaster’s were, with white eye lights. He wiggled a bit, turning his head around, until his eyes fixed on Grillby, regarding him with a look of mild disinterest.

“Gaster-”

“Hang on, I think Papyrus wants something”, Gaster interrupted, getting back up again. Quiet whining sounded from the other crib.

Gaster picked the baby up. “What, did you get lonely here, all by yourself? Did you miss daddy?”

Gaster returned to the sofa, the infant in his arms. “You can come hang out with the rest of us, don’t you worry!”

Grillby watched as Gaster sat on the couch, cooing to the baby and sneaking in soft kisses. Grillby settled on holding the baby in his arms as best as he could. Sans had already closed his eye sockets again, and turned his face to Grillby’s chest, maybe seeking warmth.

Grillby had never really wanted children of his own. Babies were too dependent, they took too much time and effort, they were too much of a responsibility.

But Gaster’s children he could love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you guys seen the 'Try Guys meet Ned's baby' video? It's so cute I've watched it like five times


	30. The Grillster journey of becoming a couple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aeris-blue asked:  
> "Drabble prompt? I was rereading your collection and was wondering if there was a specific point where they shifted into a more or less couple mentality than friends. Or sort of: which one realized they had feelings first?"
> 
>  
> 
> I know I say “This one is unusually long!” like every other drabble but this ran away from me even more that usual so here we go I guess
> 
> A reminder of my elemental naming headcanon: War elementals were ‘named’ by their season of summoning and element because ~~identity angst~~ it was easier both psychologically and logistically than giving them real names.

 Winterflame parried the sword coming at him, and with a few more strikes, the human fell to the ground.

A sort panicked half-screams sounded from somewhere to his right. He recognized the odd voice of the doctor. Winterflame turned.

Gaster was making desperate dodges as the human attacked, trying to deflect the hits with his weak bone constructs.

Winterflame sent a lance of fire at the human, forcing them to retreat back, just enough so that he could step between them and the skeleton.

Gaster was a great doctor but a lousy fighter, so it just made sense for Winterflame to stick close to the other and make sure their units medic didn’t get dusted. Besides, Gaster was nice. It’d be a shame if he got himself killed.

 

~

 

“Grillby? If it’s not too much trouble, could you burn a little brighter?”

Grillby coaxed his flame, and also scooted a bit closer to Gaster. The evening was getting dark, but Gaster was still tinkering with his crossbow. Grillby wondered how much time Gaster spent on the thing: if felt like the design of the weapon changed completely in the span of a week.

Gaster tuned a little crank but the side of the crossbow, drawing the string taut, and placed an arrow in the groove.

“Want to pick me a target?” he asked, raising the bow.

Grillby looked around.

“How about that tree?”

Gaster fired, and the arrow sank into the bark with a loud _twang_. The he carefully placed the bow on the ground, and walked over to the tree.

“It went in deep!” he exclaimed, trying to yank the arrow loose, but it remained stuck. He finally took a knife out, and cut it at the base.

“Grillby, look!” Gaster held the cut arrow and a regular one side by side. The cut arrow was a finger length shorter.

“Oh, this bad boy is going to cause _damage!_ ” Gaster was grinning giddily.

Grillby couldn’t help but smile. Seeing Gaster this happy made him feel happy, too. Which made sense; Gaster was his friend after all.

 

~

 

“Gaster, you’re not supposed to pick at you bandages.”

“But I can’t see if got gauze in my eye socket!”

“You’re lucky your eye socket even can see anything”, Grillby scolded.

Gaster groaned from the bedroll.

Gaster’s injuries had healed enough that he’d been let out of the infirmary, but he was still condemned to strict bed rest. The nurses had probably figured that Grillby was not about to leave Gaster’s bedside, so they might as well not have the both of them in their feet.

Grillby scooped up broth he had been preparing in a bowl.

“Thanks”, Gaster said as he reached to take the bowl.

Grillby hesitated.

Gaster gave an exasperated sigh.

“I can eat myself, Grillby! I’m not _that_ weak anymore.”

Grillby handed the bowl over. Gaster took it with both hands, but didn’t make a move to adjust his grip, or to take the spoon. He simply held the bowl, his hands subtly shaking.

Without a word, Grillby took the bowl back, and held it in Gaster’s reach.

With a bitter expression, Gaster took the spoon and ate.

“I’m sorry, Grillby. I hate being such a burden…”

“You’re not”, Grillby said firmly.

And, so Grillby’s mild surprise, it was true. Sure, doing so much for Gaster wasn’t exactly fun, but Grillby didn’t mind. It was his turn to take care of Gaster like the other had so many times done for him. And somehow knowing that Gaster needed him now just completely wiped away whatever resentment he could have felt. Gaster was the one who was weak; Gaster was the one whose ribs and skull were hurting. Being annoyed seemed so meaningless compared to that. So, somehow, he wasn’t.

It made sense, after all. Grillby loved Gaster. Even if Gaster would need Grillby to prop him up and spoon-feed him himself, Gaster could never be a burden.

 

~

 

This made no sense. Grillby paced by the riverside, the only place near camp he could find even a little peace to clear his head.

Grillby wondered if he was getting sick. It was like he had an ache in his chest, but it felt pleasant? One minute he felt like he could conquer the world, the next he was a flustered mess. He has happy but stressed but energized but zoning out and _none of it made any sense!_

He had thought about seeing a doctor about it. But that was exactly the problem, wasn’t it?

It was like he couldn’t get Gaster out of his head, like he couldn’t stop staring at him. Thoughts kept popping into his head on their own accord, like _just reach over and place your hand on his! Wrap your arms around him while he sleeps and hold him! Just find an excuse!_

And Grillby didn’t know what to do about it! Should he try to touch Gaster more? Should he try to get space?

But even when he was alone, Gaster was all he could think of. How brilliant he was, how beautiful he was, how lovely his laughter sounded… Wondering what it would be like to hold him and close the distance between them and k-

Oh.

_Oh._

It… It made sense now.

 

~

 

Gaster was rattling from the cold. Grillby tried to move closer, and burn warmer.

The battle had been going well, until the rain started. What happened after that was a blur of stinging pain, blindly trusting Gaster to lead him somewhere safe as they ran. And somewhere safe Gaster led him: to a small cave in the mountainside. Small and dark and miserable, but dry.

They didn’t have anything to make a campfire with, the best they could do is strip the wettest of their clothes, and try to stay close to each other. Grillby tried to burn as warm as his injured Core allowed.

This wasn’t Grillby’s first downpour. But Grillby rarely felt this aware of his mortality. If Gaster hadn’t found the cave, he could have been snuffed out in the rain.

Snuffed out, taking his secret with him.

The thought of telling Gaster came to his head, insistent. Grillby was afraid. Afraid of being rejected. Afraid of being spurned. Afraid that Gaster would not want to even be his friend anymore.

But Grillby could have died today. Grillby could die any day. And didn’t Gaster deserve to know?

Grillby slowly reached for Gaster’s hand, lacing their fingers together. The other turned to look at him, tired, a little confused.

“Grillby?”

He hesitated.

“I’m… I’m not really good with words, like you are. So I’ll just say this.” Grillby looked down, at their joined hands.

“I think I am in love with you.”

For a quiet, agonising moment Gaster didn’t say anything.

“…You ‘think’?”

Grillby nodded, not lifting his head. “I’m not really good with feelings either. I’ve- I’ve never felt like this before. But I think that this is what being in love is like.”

He squeezed Gaster’s hand.

“I want to be with you, and make you happy. And I’d like to kiss you.”

He turned his head away.

“I get if you don’t want that. If you just want to be my friend. But I thought- that you should know.”

“Grillby…” Gaster’s voice was quiet. “How long have you felt this way?”

Grillby shrugged. “Since a while after you got your cracks. Just didn’t know the words for it.”

“For so long…?” Gaster gave a sort of nervous chuckle. “We could have been together for all this time?”

Grillby turned his head and stared at Gaster. The other was smiling wide.

“You…? You too…?” Grillby trailed off.

“God, Grillby, I’ve fancied you since forever!” Gaster’s laugh was relieved. “I just never thought you’d like me back!”

Grillby slowly raised his hand and cupped Gaster’s cheek. He leaned closer, the paused, waiting for permission. Gaster simply smiled at him.

Together they closed the distance between them. The kiss was soft and shy, and honestly kinda clumsy, it wasn’t like Grillby had had the chance to practice.

But it felt good, and for a moment the world made a little more sense.


	31. "None of this is your fault"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sereino asked:  
> "2 with Grillster?"
> 
>  
> 
> Nr. 2 from the prompt list being: “None of this is your fault.”
> 
> Could have thought like five different scenarios for this line, it’s a good line
> 
> WARNING: mentions of blood and death and other fun stuff like that, not super graphic though but thought I’d give a heads up

Gaster had been quiet the whole evening. Gaster sometimes was, that was fine. He had a lot going on inside his skull.

But this silence felt different, Grillby could sense it. And he was pretty sure he knew why.

“Still rattled about the human falling?”

Gaster shrugged, then gave a small nod. He pulled his legs on the couch, hugging his knees to his chest.

“I actually overheard the guards talking about the whole thing today”, Grillby began. “Only a few casualties. The official report with the exact numbers should be published tomorrow.”

“It’s not that.”

Grillby tilted his head.

Gaster took a deep breath.

“I saw the body.”

Grillby waited for Gaster to continue.

“I was at the castle to give my monthly report to Asgore. When I came to the throne room… There they were.” Gaster’s voice was little more than a whisper. “Asgore was cradling their body, about to take them away. There was blood everywhere. It’s hard to believe someone so small could bleed so much.”

“And the worst part is… When I saw at Asgore. He looked just as much like an empty husk as the corpse did. He didn’t say a word, he just walked past me.”

Gaster was looking into the distance, without really seeing anything.

“They delivered the Soul to the laboratory. It was green. And it’s just- It’s just hard to think that-”

Gaster swallowed.

“That if I worked faster, harder, if I were smart enough- none of this would have happened. I could have broken the barrier, and Asgore wouldn’t have to kill the humans. Hell, if I was a better doctor maybe I could have even saved- and Asriel wouldn’t have-”

Grillby wrapped his arms around Gaster.

“None of this is your fault.”

Gaster hugged him back, burying his face in the crook of Grillby’s neck, and Grillby brought one hand to pet his skull.

“You give your all every damn day, that’s more than anyone could ever ask of you. Blame the humans for the barrier, blame the king for his decision- Blame _me_ for not winning the war if you must. But don’t blame yourself for not having more to give.”

Gaster made a noise, something between a chuckle and a choked sob.

“Blame you for not winning the war? Like you could have single-handedly defeated armies?”

“It’s no less silly than you blaming yourself for the death of the royal children and the barrier still being there.”

Gaster raised his head, and looked Grillby in the eye with a helpless expression.

“They were just a child, Grillby…” he whispered. “Just a scared little child, all alone…”

To that, Grillby didn’t say anything. All he knew to do was hold Gaster close and wish for brighter days.


	32. "Why are you shaking?" JUST ASSUME THAT ALL VAGUE PROMPTS ARE GRILLSTER (unless stated otherwise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked:  
> "42 from drabble list #2 for Grillster? Thanks!"
> 
> “Why are you shaking” is the kind of prompt that baits angst but wasn’t in the mood so fluff it is

“Why are you shaking?”

Gaster was sitting curled into a ball on his bedroll on the other side of the tent, rubbing his arms, bones almost ratting.

“Grillby, it’s freezing!” Gaster’s breath puffed a little cloud as he spoke.

“It is?” Grillby tilted his head thoughtfully. “Huh.”

Gaster grinned through his clattering teeth.

“Looks like you don’t really pick up on cold the way the rest of us do!”

“Guess not.” Grillby shrugged. “I did notice that my flame doesn’t feel as… perky? As it usually does? But yeah, that’s about it.”

“ _Neat_.” Gaster sounded strained.

Grillby shuffled from his bedroll to Gaster’s, wrapping his arms around the other. Gaster gave a blissful sigh as he pressed flush against Grillby’s body.

“Better?”

“ _Better._ ”

Grillby rubbed his warm hands along Gaster’s arms and back.

“…What does cold feel like?”

Gaster was quiet for a moment.

“Depends on how cold it is. A cool autumn feels light and refreshing. A snowy winter is different. It almost feels like the air is sucking the warmth off of ones face. Once it get’s freezing, one can feel the cold in the air you breath in, it sort of… nips, or tingles. When it’s even colder, it pricks. Touching snow or ice hurts, it’s a bit like burning?”

Gaster paused.

“My finger’s get stiff, and numb, and my toes prickle. My teeth clatter as my body tries to move to keep warm…”

Grillby took Gaster’s hand, inspecting it.

“Are your fingers cold now?”

“A bit.”

Grillby brought the bony hand to his face, pressing soft kisses on Gaster’s knuckles, his fingers, his fingertips. He caressed the back of Gaster’s hand with his thumb.

“Better?” Grillby turned to look at the other.

Gaster was blushing furiously, a stunning shade of purple colouring his white face. All he could manage in response was a chocked, flusters sound.

“Is the frost nipping at you nose a thing, or is it just something people say?” Grillby asked.

“Grillby, I don’t even have a nose-” Gaster began, interrupted by Grillby pecking a kiss smack-dab in the middle of his face.

“-though my face admittedly feels a bit cold!”

Grillby smiled, cupping Gaster’s skull with his hands, and peppering Gaster’s face with little kisses.

They’d have to leave the tent eventually. Soon, even. But for now Grillby settled to chasing away every bit of the cold that dared beset Gaster.


	33. “Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sereino asked:  
> "I know I just send a Grillster prompt but there are so many opportunities :> So 64 with Grillster?"
> 
>  
> 
> “Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything.” was the prompt, as the tile suggests
> 
> Gnnnnnnn this was a surprisingly difficult prompt gnnnnn

Gaster’s hand was getting tired of holding the ice pack to his skull. Maybe he could just-

He grimaced at the throbbing pain immediately returning. Nope, nope, the ice was good. Maybe he could make some kind of sling to hold it in place?

“Dr. Gaster, I presume?”

Gaster looked up at the nurse, a white bird monster. “Guilty as charged.” He gave a weak smile.

“Nice to meetcha, I’m Dhalia. Just hold still, I’ll have your skull in order lickety-split”, she said, her tailon glowing green with healing magic. “How’re you holding up, doc?”

“A bit nauseous, dizziness coming and going in waves.”

“Gotcha.” She pulled away. “Now, your concussion wasn’t the worst, but you still shouldn’t be alone for the next 24 hours, and your state of consciousness should be checked twice during the night. Just have someone ask you if you still remember the king’s full name and your own birthday and stuff like that. Do you have someone to keep an eye on you?”

Gaster nodded, his smile a little more genuine now.

~

Gaster was sitting in the waiting area, the large room completely empty. He idly toyed with the sleeves of his burnt lab coat, wondering how much of his stuff had survived. The lab coat was replaceable, but finding good equipment would take days, maybe weeks of digging through the dump-

Gaster looked up as movement caught his eye, and when he looked up, Grillby was standing in front of him.

“Hello, darling-” Gaster’s expression fell.

Grillby had _that_ flicker him his flame, his face like a stone mask.

“I’m sorry you had to come all the way to Hotland, I know how you hate taking the ferry”, Gaster apologized.

Grillby didn’t as much as blink an eye.

“…Don’t look at me like that.” Gaster tasted something sour in his mouth, something tired and awful in his throat all of a sudden. “The doctor already lectured me. As did the interns. And Asgore.”

Only deathly silence answered.

Gaster snapped. “Don’t just stand there! I know you’re upset, but my head hurts and my laboratory got burned and I don’t need this silent treatment form you! Yell, scream, cry, please, just say something, anything!”

“And here I thought I didn’t have to be afraid for you anymore.”

Grillby’s voice endlessly quiet. Hoarse, like he had been crying.

Gaster flinched.

“Grillby-”

“Here I thought”, Grillby interrupted him. “That once you got out of the battle field you’d be _safe_. That the whole science thing was just your mathematics and your tinkering and being a doctor.”

Grillby balled his hands into fists.

“And not blowing yourself into smithereens!” Tears spilled over as Grillby chocked on his last words.

“Grillby, hey, don’t…” Gaster scrambled, standing up, and wiping the molten tears from Grillby’s face with his thumb.

“When they called- and said there had been an accident at the lab- An explosion and a fire-” Grillby’s voice was shaking. “I thought you were _dead_ , Gaster! And I can’t-”

Suddenly Grillby’s arms were around Gaster, holding him tight.

“I can’t lose you again. I _can’t_.”

Gaster answered the embrace. “You won’t.”

He hoped that if he held Grillby tight enough, he’d believe him.


	34. Grillby meets Chara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dorki-dorki-universe asked:  
> "Just thinking out loud, but I remember a loooong time ago I requested a drabble about Gaster meeting Chara for the first time... What about Grillby? Did they ever meet? If so, how'd it go down?"
> 
> I don’t know it the royal family would go to Grillby’s, but with how casual Asgore seems, I think it’s not a super far of a stretch?

Grillby polished a glass. The same glass he had been polishing a while now. The glass that was sparkling clean.

Grillby polished the glass.

The royal family was showing the Underground to the human. Or showing the human to the Underground. Both, probably. And Snowdin was part of the Underground. And Grillby’s was part of Snowdin.

Of course the royal family would eat at Grillby’s. Not many to speak of choices around. Except going home earlier.

_By the stars_ why couldn’t they just have gone home earlier.

But no. The royal family, in their casual clothes since this wasn’t anything official, were sitting in one of the booths in his bar, eating, talking, laughing. Like the human sitting with them was nothing out of the ordinary.

In a rational part of his head, Grillby knew that this specific human had done nothing wrong. They were just a child, born centuries after the war. But the way they held themselves, the way they spoke, the way they eyed their surroundings like they were calculating the quickest way the burn the building down with everyone in it-

Well, that part was probably Grillby’s paranoia taking over. But they still gave him the creeps.

After an eternity, the royal family was done with their dinner and ready to leave. Thank the stars. As the door opened and closed, Grillby gave a long sigh, relaxing his shoulders. Finally…

“They said you fought in the war.”

Grillby almost dropped the glass in his hands. There, climbing on the bar stool, was the human. Rosy-cheeked, brown-haired, with piercing eyes looking straight at him.

“How many humans did you kill?”

Grillby said nothing. He turned his attention back to the glass he was polishing. He didn’t want to have this conversation. And the human was the last person on earth he’d have it with.

“Can I have a glass of water?”

Grillby shook his head. Then he nodded towards the door, hoping the human would get the hint and leave.

They didn’t. They remained on the barstool, their hands casually folded on the table.

“I don’t blame you for killing humans. I am certain they deserved it.”

Grillby focused on the glass in his hands. He could almost see his own reflection.

“They said you were very strong.”

The human paused. Grillby still didn’t reply.

“It must be nice. Being so strong that no-one can ever hurt you.” Their voice was quiet. They were looking at their hands now, their bangs hiding their face.

“Well…” They looked up, smiling. “As long as they don’t have water with them.”

With that, they hopped down from the barstool, and walked off, out to the king and queen who were waiting for them with open arms.

Grillby put the glass down, as well as the cloth he had used to polish it. He walked into the kitchen, and once the door was closed, he let himself collapse. His breathing became ragged, he hugged himself tight, and fanned his flame high in an attempt to chase away the icy feeling encasing his Soul.


	35. Grillster first date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titaneater1 from the comments prompted: “First date?”
> 
> And I’m assuming they wanted it in Grillster flavour, I know I did

“Hey Grillby”, Gaster said as he entered the tent where Grillby was already getting ready for the night. “I heard that the nearby village is having a fair-market-festival thingy in a few days.”

“Oh?” Grillby settled on the bedroll to make room for Gaster to get ready for the night as well. “Knowing you, you want to go check it out?”

“Am I really that predicable?”

“Yes.” Grillby grinned. “And knowing you, you’re going to drag me with you?”

“I don’t want to _drag_ you with me”, Gaster huffed as he sat on the bedroll next to Grillby. “I thought it’d be fun to go together. It could be like a date.”

Grillby tilted his head in question. “A date?”

“Yeah, a date.” Gaster kicked his boots off. “That’s what people generally do when they like _like_ each other.”

“‘Like _like_ ’ each other?” Grillby said with an amused flicker. “You have once again seduced me with your silver tongue-”

That little remark earned Grillby a weak swat on his arm, but by the starts was Gaster cute when he was huffy, so Grillby considered it worth it.

~

The two of them were slowly making their way through the market, browsing the wares. Grillby had stocked up his spice box, and after thorough deliberation and a brutal round of haggling Gaster had treated himself to a slide rule. Grillby wasn’t really sure what a slide rule actually was, but the carved stick had Gaster beaming, and that made Grillby happy.

“Grillby look!” Gaster exclaimed, pointing to a crowd gathering around a group of jesters. Before he knew it, Gaster had taken him by the hand, and rushed in the front row.

The jesters did tricks and juggled, one danced with hoops. Grillby didn’t really need to keep holding Gaster’s hand, they weren’t going to loose each other in the crowd. By he didn’t want let go.

~

They were sitting on a hill, eating the last of the sugar roasted almonds Grillby had won in ring toss.

Gaster had said that this was the best place to watch the sunset. The sky was painted in breath-taking hues of red and orange, the clouds soft pinks as the purple night sky took over.

“Gaster?”

“Hmm?”

“I know this was supposed to be, like, a date”, Grillby began. “But I don’t really get how this is really any different from what we usually do.”

“Hmm.”

Grillby turned away from the sunset, and looked at Gaster. Gaster, in turn turned to look at him.

“Well. I supposed that on a fundamental level, platonically hanging out and going on a date are mostly the same thing. But, consider this.”

Gaster, without warning, leaned over and kissed Grillby, slow, lingering. When they parted and Grillby opened his eyes, Gaster had a soft gaze in his half-lidded eye sockets.

“Does that answer your question?”

Suddenly Grillby felt a bit bold. “No.”

“No?”

“No”, Grillby said firmly. “You’ll have to explain it again.”

Gaster grinned, wrapped his arms around Grillby’s neck, and leaned in for another kiss.


	36. Gaster saves Grillby from an overly flirty customer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kawaiikittenlover asked:  
> "Hiya Anchestor! I came here after reading your Drabble Pile list on AO3. I wanted to thank you so much for providing wholesome Grillster content, the family dynamic of the Fonts and our favorite elemental makes my heart so warm and fuzzy. I would love to see how you take on a prompt of someone flirting with either Grillby or Gaster... and their beloved stepping in to save their love from the discomfort? (I thought Asgore but maybe he'd be too hung up on Toriel to flirt, hehe._ Thank you again!<3 "
> 
>  
> 
> Hi! Super big thanks for your kind words, hearing that people like my content makes my heart so warm and fuzzy ^^
> 
> And thanks for the prompt too, this was a really fun one!

Grillby sighed internally as the fox monster got out of her booth and walked toward the bar counter, her hips swaying. She was out of town, and by the way she had been eyeing Grillby, he knew exactly what type of customer she was.

Whelp. Here come the ‘hot guy’ pickup lines.

“Well, well, well”, she said as she settled by the bar, looking Grillby up and down. “Aren’t you a tall drink of water. Ironically enough.”

Grillby gave a few surprised sparks, then a few amused ones. Alright, that was a newer one.

Grillby pushed the drinks menu towards her. If she was going to chat him up, might as well make sure she ordered something too.

The fox eyed the choices. “I’d like a sex on the beach.”

Grillby began to prepare the drink.

“You know, they say that Snowdin doesn’t have that many attractions to speak of. They’ve clearly not seen you”, she said with a flirty smile.

Grillby didn’t respond as he placed her drink in front of her. Usually people gave up once they got that Grillby wouldn’t reciprocate.

Not the fox though, it became clear after a few drinks.

“Strong and silent type, I see.” She leaned closer as far as the bar counter allowed and whispered: “I like the strong and silent types.”

Grillby shot a look at the table to the right. The table where Gaster was embroiled in a card game with the Canine unit. Until Dogiette elbowed him, nodding towards the bar, and mouthing something Grillby couldn’t hear. Gaster turned to glance at Grillby and was thankfully quick to take stock of the situation.

“You know, I was going to ask the usual, do you come here often, would you like to go somewhere a bit more quiet…” She let her finger trace the rim of her glass, oblivious to Gaster settling on the barstool next to her. “But in this case it wouldn’t really work, now would it?”

“Evening, miss!” Gaster greeted, very very _very_ cheerfully. “Mind if I have a word with you?”

She looked down at her snout at Gaster.

“I’m _not_ interested”, she said in a rude voice. A voice that turned honey-sweet as she turned back towards Grillby. “Now, where were we-”

“Trust me, lady, I’m not interested either.” Gaster’s plastered on grin reached ear to ear. “But didn’t anyone ever tell you that it’s terribly rude to flirt with service workers?”

The foxes opened her mouth to say something, but Gaster was already on full swing.

“First of all, when you flirt with a waiter, or a barista, or a bartender in this case, you’re putting them in an awfully awkward position. It’s literally their job to be nice to you and make sure you have a good time in the establishment, they can’t just tell you off if you’re making them uncomfortable. And even if they were interested in you, they can’t do anything about it on the clock, that’d be terribly unprofessional!”

She rolled her eyes.

“Hey, we’re just having a bit of fun here. No harm, no foul.” She flashed Grillby a smile and a wink.

“ _Secondly_ , what _exactly_ are you hoping to get out of this _specific_ exchange?” Gaster’s tone was still so so so very cheerful. Oh dear.

“Well, that depends”, she said, lowering her voice to a more sultry tone as she addressed Grillby. “How about you tell me when you’re off, and we see where things go from there?”

“Ah, but _there’s_ the rub.”

Gaster leaned in close to the fox, so close she leaned back a bit. His eye lights disappeared, his smile unfaltering, his voice but a whisper.

_“Grillby is very much spoken for. To me. And I’d much appreciate if you’d stop bothering my beau.”_

She gulped. Then laughed nervously.

“Oh! Why didn’t he say so! I’d never have flirted with him if I knew he was taken! You’re- you’re very lucky!” She was trying to play the whole thing off, but Grillby noticed drops of nervous sweat on her temple.

The fox then scurried off with a few words about how late it was getting. Gaster rolled his shoulders, a self-satisfied grin on his face.

“I could have handled it, but thanks”, Grillby said. “Huh, I had forgotten how creepy you can be when you want to…”

“I get territorial”, Gaster deadpanned. “Although now that the topic came up…”

Gaster leaned his jaw on his hand; tilting his head, gaze half lidded with a flirty smile.

“When are you off? Because according to the second law of thermodynamics, you're supposed to share your hotness with me.” He topped the pickup line off with a brow bone wiggle.

“You hypocrite!” Grillby chuckled. “Didn’t you _just_ give a whole lecture about not flirting with bartenders!”

“It’s called boyfriend privileges”, Gaster said with a wink, blowing Grillby a kiss.


	37. Underfell: Grillster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> profoundlytenaciousgalaxy asked:  
> "For drabble prompt, how about underfell!grillster?"
> 
> This was a very fruitful prompt, I’m pretty sure this is the longest drabble I’ve ever written
> 
> Warnings for foul language and suggestive content

The bass of the music was like a pulsing heartbeat as the patrons of the bar danced, revelled and writhed under the shine of the colourful, ever spinning lights. A bar, a club, Grillby’s was whatever its owner decided it was.

Gaster loved it.

Loved to watch as these meaningless little creatures got themselves intoxicated on the music as much as they did the alcohol, disgusting, despicable, deplorable. Loved to watch the room breath in the heard of new drunks, breathing out the old ones. Most of all, he loved to watch the ruler of this little domain watch over his kingdom.

Gaster couldn’t quite pin what made the man made of fire so alluring, despite his many nights dedicated to that very conundrum. Perhaps it was the strength, the power he radiated: Grillby could snap anyone in this room in half like a twig. It wasn’t the perfectly sculpted features and carefully chosen outfits, Gaster wasn’t that vain, but those certainly didn’t hurt. Maybe it was the touch of danger. Yes, Gaster knew about Grillby’s accomplishments in the war. And yet the elemental had settled to being something as humble as a bartender. How curious.

Some nights Gaster settled to sitting back and watching from afar. Sometimes he indulged in a few games, puppeteering little misfortunes and watching Grillby dance as he tried to fix them. But, tonight, he wanted something a little _more_ , something a little simpler. Feel the heat on his face.

After all, what’s the point of playing with fire without the chance of burnt fingers?

So Gaster made his way through the shadows to the bar.

“A blue angel, please.”

Grillby flinched in surprise, just a barely enough for Gaster’s trained eyes to notice he had caught Grillby off guard. A glance, a carefully neutral expression on his face, and Grillby began to prepare Gaster’s drink.

“What, not as much as a hello to your friend?”

That earned him a glare. “Off to your usual mischief?”

“No, not tonight.” Gaster smiled as he watched Grillby’s movements. Strong, practiced, smooth. Oh yes.

“You’d think a smart guy like you would have better use for his time than being a pest for the sake of it. I don’t even know why I put up with you.”

“I’d advice for you to keep me entertained, Grillby.” Gaster smirked. “After all, it’d be awfully inconvenient if the royal guard heard about all those funny little pills and powders dealt under your table.”

For just a blink, Grillby froze. “They’d find nothing.”

“I don’t doubt that. But imagine how drearily _time-consuming_ the investigations would be.”

Done with the drink, Grillby placed the glass in front of Gaster.

“Thank you, my darling.”

“ _Don’t call me that_ ”, Grillby spat, just the slights underlines of a threat in his voice.

Gaster gave an amused giggle. “Do I really unnerve you that much?”

Grillby scoffed.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” He leaned in close, just a hands width between them. Gaster could feel the heat on his face. “You think you are so high and mighty, but you’re just a shiver looking for a spine to run up.”

“How unexpectantly eloquent of you. Must be nice to feel clever for once”, Gaster said, leaning just a bit closer himself.

Grillby backed off, and Gaster smirked. He took his drink, giving Grillby a mock toast.

~

“Undigested lump!”

“Waste of dust!”

“Carcass even a hound wouldn’t touch!”

“You’d know, bitch-wolf!”

“Misshapen dick!”

Needling each other was a nightly occurrence, but tonight, one jab had hit just a bit too low. Their verbal sparring had quickly deteriorated into a shouting match of insults, their voices ringing loud in the empty bar.

Grillby was absolutely livid. Gaster had never felt so _alive_.

He couldn’t even tell when he had been boxed against the wall, tables and Grillby himself blocking his escape.

“I ought to dust you already”, Grillby snarled.

“I’d like to see you try.” Gaster leaned closer, close enough to feel the heat rolling off of Grillby on his face. For a beat they both stood perfectly still, eyes locked.

What came next happened too fast for Gaster to tell which was first, Grillby grabbing him by the collar and pinning him against the wall, or Gaster clashing his teeth against Grillby’s mouth. But what he knew was that Grillby’s taste was _intoxicating_. The kiss was brutal, their tongues fighting, Gaster’s body trapped by Grillby’s larger frame, their hands clamouring for more of each other, for more of that heat, _more-!_

~

Gaster panted, slowly getting back down from his high. He settled a bit more comfortably, resting his head on Grillby’s arm, enjoying the heat of the naked body next to him.

“Alright. Credit where credit is due.” Gaster turned his head to look Grillby in the eye. “You’re a pretty good lay.”

“You’re not half bad yourself”, Grillby admitted with a smirk.

The black couch in Grillby’s backroom was surprisingly accommodating for two people. Gaster idly wondered if that was by design. If Grillby was in the habit of picking himself a plaything for the night and bringing them in the back. He didn’t particularly like that thought.

“I should get going”, Gaster said, slowly trailing little spirals on Grillby’s bare chest.

“I’ll make it worth your while if you don’t.” Grillby moved his arm, grazing his fingers along that good spot on Gaster’s spine.

Well. It wasn’t like Gaster had anywhere specific to be in the morning.

~

Gaster would have liked to blame it on the alcohol, on a stroke of bad luck, on anything. But that wouldn’t have been true. Gaster had simply been careless. And he was about to pay the price for that carelessness.

“Imagine the cred we’ll get for dusting the royal scientist, boys!” The leader of the thugs laughed. The alleyway was small, the floor filthy, as Gaster had been quick to find out all to closely. He might have been able to handle two of them at once, maybe even three, but five was too many.

Gaster gritted his teeth, trying to push himself back up, re-summon his weapon. He might be about to go down, but not without a fight-

A wall of purple flame erupted from the ground, and the leader screamed in pain.

Gaster recognised Grillby’s voice, but couldn’t quite make out the words. The world was spinning, and everything went black.

 

When Gaster blinked his eye socket’s open, he found himself on the black couch he had become all too familiar with. He took stock of himself, not noticing anything too serious. Even the if he was missing a good chunk of HP, he’d be fine.

Grillby was there, mixing something into a glass. Their eyes met, and they shared a wordless glance. Then Grillby walked over to the couch, handing the glass to Gaster.

“This stuff is hard to come by. Drink it slowly.”

Gaster did as he was told, feeling as the healing magic infused to the drink soothed his injuries, replenishing his HP with every gulp. When Gaster was done, Grillby took the glass back, setting it aside.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why’d you intervene?” Gaster asked quietly. “Whichever gang they belonged to will have your neck now.”

For a moment, Grillby looked away, pursing his lips.

“You’re an arrogant, egotistical little pest.” He reached his hand, touching Gaster’s cheek in a way that could almost be called tender. “But you’re _my_ arrogant, egotistical little pest.”

“My, my, Grillby…” Gaster smirked. “Wouldn’t have pinned you for the sentimental type.”

Grillby frowned, pulling his hand away.

“Don’t let it go to your head. It’d just be too much hassle to get a new fucklet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the moment of adhesion for UT!grillster happened in the war, and was born from Gaster's kindness. That didn't happen in UF, so they became interested in each other only once things settled in the Underground.
> 
> (Look at these tsundere idiots)


	38. Underfell: Grillby meets baby bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> profoundlytenaciousgalaxy asked:  
> "Another prompt if you want to: Underfell!Grillby meeting the Underfell skeleton bros."
> 
>  
> 
> A fair bit of establishment, less baby bones in this one ^_^’
> 
> For those who missed the previous Underfell drabble, the grillster relationship basically boils down to: fuck buddies who’d absolutely kill for each other but it’s not because they like each other or anything!!1!
> 
> Warnigs: foul language again, a bit of suggestive content

Grillby basked in the afterglow, enjoying the weight of Gaster’s skull on his arm.

He wasn’t going to say it, Gaster sure as hell didn’t need the ego trip, but that had been an _excellent_ fuck.

“Grillby?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you ever think there could be more than this?” Gaster’s voice was unusually quiet.

“More than what?” Grillby let his voice be a little harsh. Couldn’t Gaster just enjoy the mood without getting philosophical, dammit!?

“ _This_. Us.” A bony arm wrapped around Grillby’s chest, holding him closer. “More than just hate flirting and sex and pretending like we don’t care.”

Grillby finally looked at Gaster. Gone were arrogant smirks and lustful gazes. Gaster’s expression was soft, open, with a childlike neediness. _Vulnerable_.

And in this world, that kind of vulnerability just got you killed.

“What do you mean ‘pretending’ like I don’t care?” Grillby said dismissively, turning to look at the ceiling above him.

Gaster froze. “Nothing, I suppose…”

And with that, Gaster pulled away from Grillby’s grip, stood up from the couch and began to put his clothes back on.

Gaster left. And when a week had passed without him returning, Grillby began to think that he had chosen the wrong answer.

~

It wasn’t until a year later when he saw Gaster again.

He was at one of the Capitals parks, one of the relatively safe areas of the Underground. The king might have been fine with his subjects killing each other, but stepping on the flowers of the royal gardens was a serious crime. Which made getting into fights there pretty much impossible. This made the parks a favoured meeting place to Grillby’s more… _discreet_ suppliers.

And a good place to be pushing around a baby carriage, apparently.

“Oh, hello Grillby. It’s been a while”, Gaster greeted casually, walking up to him.

Grillby could only stand there, frozen. “What the fuck.”

“Eloquent as always, I see.”

Grillby looked into the cot. There were two baby skeletons lying in it, asleep.

“Are- are they yours?!” Grillby felt like he had been put in a freezer that then had gotten picked up by a giant and shaken violently. Maybe this was some kind of surreal dream?

“Or course they are mine. You think I’d be bothered to push around someone else’s brats?”

“Since when do you have fucking kids!?” Grillby’s voice was shrill, panicked almost.

“Since about three months-” Loud whining sounded from the cot. “Papyrus,  _please_. People are talking.”

Gaster reached into the cot, and plopped a pacifier into the infant’s mouth.

“Noisy little gremlins”, he said fondly. He was looking at the babies, soft, caring, _vulnerable_.

The whirlwind of emotions inside of Grillby stopped and crystallised into one clear thought. ~~His worry~~  his anger ~~his hurt~~   _his anger_ ~~his fear~~   _HIS ANGER_ boiled over. The sound of a fiery hand hitting bone rang loud in the empty park, the strike hard enough to send Gaster out of balance.

“Is this why you fucking disappeared!? Because you knocked up some whore!?” Grillby screamed. Gaster had abandoned him for someone else. Someone else had gotten to touch Gaster, to see his smile, to hear his sounds of pleasure. If Grillby found out who it was, _he’d kill them_.

“I thought you were _dead_ , you _prick!_ ”

Slowly, Gaster straitened himself. Slowly, he brought a hand to his face where Grillby had struck. A mark of soot remained there, staining Gaster’s fingers. For just a few moments, Gaster simply looked at his now blackened hand.

“Wow, Grillby. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that you actually _care_.”

Gaster looked at Grillby, completely expressionless.

“I’m sorry to cut this short. But your shouting is upsetting my children.”

With that, Gaster placed his hands on the handle bar of the baby carriage and walked away. Grillby was left in the middle of the park.

He was sure it would have hurt less if Gaster had simply hit him back.

~

The metal door stood dark and imposing. Grillby knocked, fixing his glare on one of the security cameras.

The door slid open.

“How do you even know where I live?” Gaster snapped from the other side of the doorstep.

“Expensive bribes”, Grillby deadpanned. “Did you really make them in your lab or am I going to have to break the legs of my informant?”

“Lab.” Gaster crossed his arms. “Was that all? I have stuff to do.”

A wave of relief washed over Grillby. At least Gaster hadn’t chosen someone else over him.

“I brought your bastards a chew toy each.” Grillby shoved two small packets into Gaster’s hands. “So that they won’t bite your fingers off once they start teething.”

Gaster inspected the teething toys. They were very high quality, hard to come by in the Underground.

“Get inside”, he sighed.

~

Grillby looked at the baby. The baby looked back at him. He suddenly felt like he was being judged.

The baby scoffed, clumsily picking up the teething toy, and began to gum at it.

“I don’t think Sans likes me all that much.”

“Yeah, he’s a good judge of character.”

The adults were sitting on a play rug. Sans seemed content to lay on his back, Papyrus had become fussy until Gaster picked him up and placed him on his lap. The baby babbled, Gaster cooed at it, soft, tender, _vulnerable_.

Loving.

Gaster had wanted something to love.

Grillby didn’t understand why Gaster, why anyone would allow that kind of weakness to themselves. But not much to do about it now.

“They’re going to grow into good strong boys, I just know it.” Gaster nuzzled the baby.

“It’s going to take a while, though.” Grillby looked away. “And in the meantime… If you’re planning to keep them and yourself alive, you’re going to need someone to watch your back.”

Gaster paused. “…Are you offering?”

Grillby shrugged. “If you’ll make it worth my while. How about I drop by next week? Bring a bottle. And we’ll talk.”

“Yeah…” Gaster was looking at him, just the hint of that soft smile on his face. “I think I’d like that.”


	39. Grillster fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anonymous asked:  
> Can my prompt be just good ol grillster fluff? Maybe waking up and having breakfast together and smooches and things like that <3
> 
> What a good prompt to close on ^^

He was enjoying the weight of Gaster’s skull on his chest, the bony arm wrapped around his middle, legs tangles around his own, the slow rise and fall of Gaster’s breathing. This was nice.

“Maybe I should get a heavier blanket, if you get this cold during the night”, Grillby mumbled, mostly to himself.

“No…” Gaster’s voice unexpectantly answered, snuggling even closer. “This is good.”

“Didn’t know you were awake.”

“Mmm.”

Grillby finally opened his eyes, glancing at the alarm clock on his nightstand.

“Do you want breakfast?”

“Mmm…”

“Gaster?” Grillby noticed that Gaster’s eye sockets were shut again. “Did you fall asleep again?”

“Mmm. Yes.”

~

“Heat. Pressure. Time.” Gaster’s voice was dramatic. “The same three things that make a diamond, make a waffle.”

Grillby chuckled, pouring a new batch of batter on the waffle iron and closing the lid. “How’s the orange juice coming along?”

The juicer whirred loudly as Gaster’s answer.

Soon the table was fully equipped with freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee, toast and waffles. While Gaster was preoccupied with getting forks and knives for them, Grillby made a heart with whipped cream on Gaster’s waffle.

“It’s been ages since I’ve had waffles-” Gaster abruptly stopped, a smile lighting up his face when he saw the heart. Grillby began to innocently butter his toast.

“Look.” Gaster lifted his waffle for Grillby to see. He had written “G+G” inside the heart with strawberry jam.

They ate. When they were about to finish, Grillby noticed Gaster had a little bit of whipped cream at the corner of his mouth.

“Hey, you got some-” Grillby gestured towards his own face.

“Oh! Where?”

“Nah, I’ve got it.” Feeling bold off of a sudden, Grillby leaned in, and licked the whipped cream off.

When he leaned back, Gaster was blushing furiously.

“W-well, how do you like the orange juice?” he stuttered.

Grillby took a sip. “It’s nice. Sweet.”

“Maybe I should have a taste too”, Gaster said as he leaned closer, gaze half lidded, and kissed Grillby, slow, lingering.

When they parted, Grillby was pretty sure his flame was blue with his blush.

“Nice and sweet, yes.” Gaster smiled. “And the juice tasted pretty good too.”

“You have your own glass to taste from, bonehead!”

All these years together, and Gaster still managed to get him flustered like he was falling in love for the very first time.

**Author's Note:**

> DRABBLE PROMPTS ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED!
> 
> But why don't you come say hi over at [my Tumblr, also named Anchestor](https://anchestor.tumblr.com)! Or just leave something in the comments, that's an option too ^^


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